Parenting Drama Pt 1

Dude!

My son’s picking up some interesting words at school.

Him: Dude! It’s so late.
Me: What? Why are you calling me dude?
Him: I dunno, dude.
Me: Well, the teenage years are gonna be rough.

That word, honestly, doesn’t bother me so much.

The word that does bother me, no end, is bored. Especially as it pertains to school.

He’s reading at a third-grade level and also doing long division while the other kids are…not.

What I don’t want for him is to be like my brother and me. If you think I’m smart, think of me as Sherlock and my brother as Mycroft – my brother’s significantly smarter than me.

There’s no comparison between the two of us, really. And I’m fine with that because he’s paid dearly for his intelligence. But that’s his story, not mine.

Still, my kid is far more like my brother than me. Which worries me.

I was pretty unhappy as a kid. My brother was miserable.

In any case, stuff my kid said caught the ear of his teacher, who had to contact the guidance counselor, who then contacted me. It was the start of a series of annoying meetings.

Teacher: I just want you to know, he’s the happiest kid I know. I don’t think he’s upset, I think he’s just bo..
Me: Bored. He’s looking to stir things up.
Her: Yes. But I’m required to tell the counselor.
Me: I get it.

Guidance Counselor: Mr. Lo, your son is just the most adorable kid! Can I say that?
Me: I think you just did.
Her: (later) I don’t think he means it. I think he’s just a little bo…
Me: Bored. Yup. He’s looking to stir things up.
Her: Yes. Would you consider putting him in the G&T classes?
Me: Absolutely not. Absolutely not. I want him normal. I want him to have a normal life. I don’t want that for him.

So, what to do? I knew this was gonna happen, which is why I look at school as teaching him social skills.

I’ll teach him math, science, English, history, and everything else he needs to know. I just need him in school to keep him socially normal.

As for the boredom, I’ve been bringing the kid with me to my jits classes here and there. I just want to acclimate him to the life.

Last Friday, Mouse was there and was nice enough to offer us a lift back.

Watching the two of them talk is just the sweetest thing. Because she’s just so good at connecting with him.

Her: Were you just trying to be different?
Him: (laughing) Yeah…

They have a really sweet and special bond and I’m grateful for that.

It was really nice to spend time seeing the two of them interact, although we all had a lot more time to interact than we had expected.

Me: Shoot, there’s a ton of traffic
Her: I think there was an accident.
Him: Oh! Let I smell smoke!

Of course, we were hoping everyone was alright.

I brought him in to watch TV for a bit and stepped outside to chat with Mouse in the car.

Thought about the possible pasts again, as you might imagine.

Me: Thanks for the lift home.
Her: Sure.

Location: earlier today, trying to get from 14th Street to 79th Street in 20 minutes
Mood: parental
Music: I got your back, I will be near (Spotify)
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