Sheepness…..
SO…..We’ve started back to school this week. The children are all joyful about that. My youngest child has been dramatically melting down every time she encounters any task that is remotely new. I have been repeatedly explaining….mostly patiently….to her that this is why it is called “learning.” If she knew how to do it already, then it would not be “learning.” I am keeping a running log of which is most irritating. The effects of estrogen poisoning. Or the effects of testosterone poisoning.
Anyway. Today I am sitting a my desk in the schoolroom and notice….again….that my oldest child is not at his desk. This has been happening with distrubing frequency so I bellow, “Oldest CHILD! Where are you and why are you not at your desk?”
A voice pops up from close by and says “Here I am.” [On the floor behind the bookshelves where I can't see him.]
I say, in a not altogether patient tone of voice, “What are you doing down there? Is it on your assignment sheet? And why are you not at your desk?”
“I’m reading. This is a really GREAT book…”
“Well. I am all for reading and you know that. But if you are spending time reading that should be used on doing what has been assigned to you, I think you are making a mistake. There will be no whining if later you find someone else at the computer and you have squandered your assigned time reading. There will be NO whining if you do not get your work turned in and are graded accordingly. PERHAPS, you might consider taking this really great book with you to bed and reading it tonight before lights out.”
“I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“It’s a biography.”
“Why can’t you take a biography with you to bed and read it?”
“Biographies aren’t supposed to be interesting.”
“So let me get this straight. You are going to allow other people to decide for you whether or not something is interesting and worth reading.”
Oldest child is now grinning. “Yeah. That’s pretty much it.”
At this point I begin to make “baa-ing” noises and doing my best fluffy sheep imitation.
Eldest child says to me, “The Bible says we are sheep…”
I am taking odds on whether or not he will live until dinner.
