Parent Teacher Anticipation

The students in the local school district have a long break this weekend. It is time for parent teacher conferences. I was a sub yesterday morning for the half day of school, so I even got to see some of the action first hand.

I am pretty pumped for when Jack and Liam are old enough for me to get to go to PTC's. I don't even know what they are like, but in my mind they are super cool. I have a sneaking feeling that most of the time I will go in and they will say, everything is fine - nothing more and nothing less.

"Here are some papers, he got in trouble a few times but nothing abnormal."

Boring.

At this point I can't imagine it will play out that way. Jack says ridiculous things, and if my personal academic history is any indicator, we are in for a lot more than that.

Jack manages to hear and process more than what seems like would be normal for a 3 year old. He doesn't just repeat stuff, he figures out how to use words and phrases and does it in the right way. If he doesn't know what something means, he tests it out. In the last few days, he has found out the hard way a few words that will get him into trouble.

Jack has also yet to develop the proper speech filters. He talks like he uses the restroom - no discretion whatsoever. He never closes the door to the bathroom and he recently started to pull down his pants at an outdoor wedding in spite of being less than 4 yards from a park restroom. He doesn't change his volume or vocabulary to fit the setting.

I imagine those parent teacher conferences will be pretty interesting, especially as he gets older. In some strange way,  I am looking forward to the accountability. I think that is why I am hoping for more that so ho-hum meeting with the teacher. I don't really seek approval for things I am doing right - I want the good stuff. What is this kid saying and doing?

It seems like people are far too protective of their kids, in a wide variety of ways.

Here's a heads up - your children can be and will be in the wrong at times. A lot of times.

I don't see my role as a father to simply be a protector at all costs. I know well that my kids are often defenseless because of their age and need that from me, but I also know them well enough to recognize they are not angels. Jack and Liam will grow up knowing responsibilities and consequences. If they have bad grades, it isn't the teachers' fault. If they are getting in trouble for being disrespectful, the fault likely is their own.

It seems that the PTC is a way for the teacher to get my help. Hopefully, the most help they will need is advice about how to respond when Jack says something that they simply so ridiculous that they don't know how to respond. We will have plenty of experience in that by then.