So today started off like a normal day. Got up, got the kids off to school, and went for my morning walk with Tate through Regents Park. I really love exploring that park and finding new little places to wander. It is so beautiful. Spring in London is absolutely enchanting. There is no other word to describe it. I cannot even handle how beautiful it is. It is straight up out of a movie, or fairytale land. It's gorgeous, simply put. And I won't stop talking about it, even though I bet everyone is getting sick of hearing about it!
Today it was raining a little on our walk, but I really don't mind. Tate is protected in his rain cover, or as the boys call it, his "force field", and just falls asleep and I wander around listening to conference.
Today I saw this on our walk and it made me happy...and a little freaked out. Always a good combo!
After getting home Tate took a long nap after lunch, and I got a lot done around the house. The day flew by and soon it was time to get the boys.
As soon as I entered Tagg's school play area I saw his face and I knew something was up. His teacher, came straight over to me and said we needed to talk. Perfect. She explained that they had been having a rough time with Tagg adjusting to their rules, and that he was being far too "cheeky" for their standards. I asked her to explain "cheeky" and she said back talking, talking rude, sassy, etc. She said he questions what they are doing, and talks to her like a peer, and not his teacher. She also said he had a run in with the "headteacher" today.
So I pretty much instantly through I knew what she was talking about. Tagg has hardly any filters, it's true, and why I don't know, but he has never really had a problem talking to adults. He will go up to anyone and just start talking to them, big kids, teenagers, adults, he really doesn't have any issues with it. He never has. Ever since he was a little, little boy and believe me it has been embarrassing at times. Over the years I have really tried to work with him on showing respect for adults, but this kid is just so dang confident, he has no issue with speaking his mind to whomever whenever! Which is super embarrassing or frustrating at times, but also on the same hand, we really love this about Tagg and wouldn't change his confidence. But yes, he can back talk and be sassy at times, which is wrong, and he needs to curb it!
I told her that I didn't agree with him being sassy or back talking, and I would absolutely work with him on that at home, and she could expect things to get better. I gave Tagg THE look and he came over to me and then we went to pick up Thatcher.
Once we got home I told Tagg to tell me all that happened. He told me that he had thrown a ball at PE after the PE teacher told them not to. He also had told a kid to "shut up". Okay I thought, those things are not things he should do, obviously. We talked about it, and what he could do to not say those things to friends, and also to mind and follow directions.
He then broke down crying and told me that he gets in trouble for calling his teacher Miss or Ma'am. I was like, "ummmm....what?!" They are supposed to call their teachers by their first names here. Also, he proceeded to tell me that today as they were going out for recess the headmistress told all the kids who didn't have waterproof coats on to sit on a bench. She then told them that they couldn't play outside until it stopped raining because they didn't have waterproof coats on. Tagg then said, "but I didn't know!". Tagg said she whipped around, and yelled to him, "How DARE YOU! I have never been spoken SO RUDELY to in my life! I am the HEAD TEACHER! I deserve to be spoken to with RESPECT!". Tagg said he then started to cry and sat out all of his recess crying. While he was telling me this story he was sobbing, and told me that he feels like he can't even open his mouth at school because he is always getting corrected. Honestly, and I am not kidding, mama bear came out BIG time. I. Was. TICKED. I seriously had to calm myself down mentally before I did anything rash and so I could think straight. After I was calm, I told Tagg that I didn't feel he did anything wrong by saying Miss or Ma'am, and also that I didn't feel it was wrong what he said to the headteacher.
I immediately called the school and asked to speak with Tagg's teacher. We spoke for a little while and I gathered from her that you do NOT question your headmistress or headteacher here in the UK. Whatever. I am sorry, but that is pretty dang poor that a school administrator would talk to a 7 year old child that way, and then be okay with seeing him cry the whole recess period. I also explained to her that there is no way that my son should be getting in trouble for saying Miss or Ma'am, especially after she demanded such respect from him! That is how he has been raised to show respect, and I am sorry, but I will not try to untrain him in saying those things. We had a good chat and I think we are on the same page now.
I told Tagg that he had to cut the sass, work on his attitude, and really just grin and bear it for the next few months. Don't stop saying Miss and Ma'am if he didn't want to. I told him to just remember that they do things different here sometimes, and that's okay because we aren't here forever. I also told him that if I got a good report from his teacher every day about his behavior we can go get ice cream every day after school. Yep. Ice cream every single day. I am that kind of mom. Bribes work.
But seriously?!? Oh boy, I am SO exhausted after dealing with all of this! This headmistress thing is too crazy for me! Now you know where the Trunchbull came from! I miss you Ms. Solomon, Tagg's sweet and soft spoken and oh so lovely nice principal of Phillips! After all this nonsense today, I am SO ready for bed. Todd is out again for the night and so I am DON. Dealing with this kinda stuff, especially when it deals with my kids, really takes it out of me.
Oh and by the way, I have oh so affectionately and officially named Tagg's headteacher, The Trunchbull.
