Unleashing my inner tiger mom

Fall break is upon us.  Our first grader has a record 1.5 weeks off from school.  (I would have personally preferred an extra week of summer when the pools were open and mountains were warm!)  Of course the long break was complicated with little brothers’ having school for one of the weeks.   Kenny and I found ourselves with lots of quality time together.  Fall break fell right after conferences, so I had plenty of ideas for activities (aka school related learning) that could fill our quality time together.  I’ve been read a lot of books that go something like this, “The dog is hot.  The boy is hot.  The dog and boy get a drink.”  Riveting, let me tell you!  And we scored a Star Wars workbook at the store, which has received praise from my Star Wars-obsessed 1^st grader.  

Reading and writing were going well…so it was time to start counting by fives.  I decided that the lunch table would be a good place to start.  I demonstrated counting by fives.  The four of us counted by fives together.  Then it was the 1^st graders turn to give it a whirl.  His effort was lack luster to say the least.  I helped him a bit, but lost it when his younger brothers started offering assistance!  We cleared the dishes and broke out the dry erase board.  This new tactic was met with zero enthusiasm.  So I reminded the struggling academic that counting by fives was a first grade skill that if he failed to learn would have him repeating the first grade rather than moving on to second grade with his friends.  His response?  “I don’t mind doing first grade again!” WHAT!  This child obviously has mutated genes….and he obviously doesn’t realize his mother’s stellar academic history.  I was in the academic hall of fame in high school, graduated from college with honors and a Bachelor’s degree in engineering, and achieved the same level of success while completing a Masters degree in business.  So the chances of my son repeating first grade because counting by fives (or any other required skill) doesn’t excite him?  Well I’d say there would be a better chance of snow Brittany Spears being the first female president.  And I promptly declared Fall break “1^st grade boot camp”.  My oldest child was going to embrace learning even if it meant taking everything out of his room except pencil, paper and flashcards, and I proceeded to tell him so.  We spent the next hour painfully counting by fives until he started showing some improvement and I started sweating.  

The tiger mom has been unleashed.  We do sight-word flashcards whenever we’re in the car.  Kenny is required to read us a book during any family reading time.  The Star Wars writing workbook has a permanent place on the kitchen counter, and I've hung a 100's chart over the picture in our kitchen.  I have always judged tiger moms….but now my viewpoint has shifted ever so slightly.  I will do everything in my power to keep my child from failing.

Of course this little episode gave me an “aha” moment when it comes to my relationship with God.  I am His beloved child, and He is determined to get some lessons through to me.  He’s patient, allowing me to take as long as I need.  He’s willing to repeat lessons until I finally get it, and I’m positive there’s a celebration in heaven when I do.  I may have been an academic all-star in school, but I’m pretty sure heaven has me classified as special needs—ha!  But however slowly I’m moving, at least I’m moving forward towards Him….and that’s all only thing that counts.