An Education in Education

When I get up in the morning and get ready for the day I try to do it with as few trips in front of the mirror as possible. I can brush my teeth, brush my hair, shower, and get dressed mostly without a mirror. Once I'm ready I head down the hall to Patrick's room to make sure he is up and getting ready for school, then I head downstairs to begin the process of making breakfast and school lunches.

And then it happens. Breakfast is ready. Lunches are done. And Patrick emerges from his room, comes downstairs and grumps at me. I have spent the entire morning avoiding the reflection in the mirror only to be confronted by my own youthful reflection in the face of my son.

As a parent I have oft recoiled at the tone of my voice and its uncanny similarity to that of my mother's when I was a kid. Yet to look in the face of your child and see yourself looking back at you (especially the ugly parts)...well it's just unnerving.

So there it is. Patrick is me! We both must have the last word in a discussion or argument, he doesn't like to get up in the morning, he doesn't like school, he hates homework, he has an answer for everything, talks non-stop, interrupts, can't sit still, and he's always wiggling and giggling in class. And if there's trouble to be found, he'll find it. He won't be the cause, but he will be just close enough to it to get dirty.

After a really tough first grade year we were hoping second grade would become more routine, settled, and relaxed. Reports from school are that he's doing pretty well. There are some things that he needs to work on, but it is clear to his teacher that Patrick is an out-of-the-box thinker, creative, insightful, bright, and thoughtful. He also has trouble staying connected with what he's supposed to be doing. His mind wanders and often his body will follow.

What is a parent to do? How do we figure out what's going on in his head, what's ruling his heart, and what's driving his body, and lead him to a better understanding of himself that will help him master the challenges of school and life, to make wise choices and be confident in his decisions? So there's the challenge; teach Patrick to do for himself that which I was not able to do myself (until MUCH later).

I wasn't a big fan of school when I was a kid. I guess I'm not a big fan of it now either. Add to that the challenges that are inherent in growing up and being a kid turns out to be pretty tough business. I have the Owner's Manual, but I could really use some Cliff's Notes right about now.