So the boys had skipped school, I busted them, and beat them, then gathered them up in their PJs and headed off to the middle school. I make a big scene pulling up and then yanking open the sliding door. Marlon gets out and walks slowly into the school. When we arrive at the office the receptionist says "Oh you found him." I say "yes, he was at home. I want to check him in please." She informs me that because it is so late in the day he will be counted absent. I tell her "I don't care, check him in anyway." His eyes are red from crying. She asks him if he is okay. He does not respond. I inform her that he had received a spanking and was in huge trouble. I also informed her that if the school had any concerns and felt the need to contact any authorities due to my corporal punishment do so now and I will wait right here because I was going back to work and do not need the any further interruptions.
I know it was bitchy but one time before my son had gotten suspended from school and we spanked him. His brother went to school and told the teacher his brother was not in school because he had gotten a spanking (which was not why he was not there by the way) but anyways the school called me and asked if I had indeed spanked my son. I informed them that I had and they told me it was illegal to hit my kid and if they heard that again they would be bound by law to report me.
The receptionist looked at me and looked at him and then said "hmm you gotta do what you gotta do". I thanked her for her time and returned to my vehicle where my other son was waiting.
We drove in silence to his school and as I got out of the vehicle he looked mortified. I walked with him into the school office and said that I wanted to check him in. The receptionist looked at his attire and then back at me as I waited for some comment. She kept looking at my son with concern. He stood there in silence. There were other students in the office so I'm sure that made it worse. She asked him if he was okay. I gave him the look. I then informed her that he had received a spanking and if she needed to report it or whatever do so now and I'll just wait. She seemed shocked. She asked me to wait a minute while she checked protocol. I mean seriously this was ridiculous. This kid is twice my size. She returned and then asked me if I wanted to speak with someone. I asked her "what for?" She said "well you seem upset." I said I was but did not need to talk to anyone. What I really needed was to be able to return to work and not to receive attitude when I call here to see if my son is in school. She said okay. And I was free to go.
As I pulled out of the parking lot I receive a call from the high school. I immediately think "great I am going to be arrested for spanking my giant son." I answer. The lady on the phone informs me that she just realized who I was and she wanted to let me know that earlier that day she had received a phone call from someone claiming to be the father of my son. He just wanted to inform the school that Michael was living with him and that my contact number should be deleted from the contact list and replaced with a new number which just happened to be my sons cell number. The school said they knew it was student because his voice cracked a couple times. And they had been planning to contact me about it.
I was floored. I would never have thought in a million years that he would be that conniving. It appears I have entered into a new phase of parenting. One I dislike very much and one that will surely age me before my time.
Question If you have a teen have you experienced skipping?
And if not than did you skip school?
OH hell ya I skipped school.
ReplyDeleteI was a straight A student too.
I smoked pot, I skipped school and I got caught once. Never did this until I was a junior in high school back in the 70's.
3 girls in a car drove to a mall to Mentor Ohio (I lived in PA) to shop and eat bad food all day from munchies. I would kill my kids if they did what I did.
It's a right of passage.
I was punished the one time I was caught skipping. I was at the beach all day - not driving to other states this time. I came home sunburned - they figured that one out. What an idiot right?!
I was grounded for a month. That meant no phone calls,(before cells) no friends over, no after school activities, no TV, my chores and my sisters chores and I had to be on my mother like glue. I was a cheerleader and I had to tell my chearleading advisor I was unable to cheer and why and they used the alternate. I could not even go to games. I also got the teeny tv taken out of my room and my door came off the bedroom. I was exposed and could get away with nothing for a month.
And if this wasn't bad enough when someone called and asked for me my father or mother would say, She is grounded and can not speak on the phone until such and such a date. Pass it on and don't call here again until then. I WAS MORTIFIED.
'..to step up my game.'
ReplyDeleteThat's an understatement.
I never got a call about either one of my kids skipping. And that's something that I never did. I guess I hung out with the wrong crowd.
I skipped school once and got caught by the school. They didn't tell my parents but I had detention for two weeks and to a geek like me detention was the scariest thing ever. Never did it again.
ReplyDeleteMy sister sent her son to live with us when he was a teenager (love that girl!). He'd been ditching school in his home town, so when we got him, I told him that if I ever caught him ditching, I would walk him to each of his classes for the rest of the year. He told me I wouldn't because I had a job. I then told him he was much more important to me than a job. (I had a husband that worked, still do, so I could live up to that statement.) As far as I know, he never ditched, graduated with honors, got scholarships, and is a very successful financial adviser today.
ReplyDeleteI sipped school only once and got caught. Mainly because I wrecked one of my friends' car and the police were called.
ReplyDeleteI've always told my sons that I'm like God in that I am all knowing and all seeing. Seems like you've just proven to your sons that you are just like God too.
Peg- HIYA!!! I love that your parents told everyone to "pass it on". I also love that you were dumb enough to come home sunburned. You could've said that you guys had an outdoor project at school?
ReplyDeleteMike- You definitely hung with the wrong crowd.
MysteryChick- I would never have pegged you a geek. Lol
Linda-I have tried attending school with the boys. The school doesn't seem to support that idea. But glad that your nephew turned out to be a good guy!
Mamma-Okay, well damn. Looks like you did it big when you did skip so I think for you young lady, Once was enough.
And BTW- I know there is a reply to comment function on here but it's not working for me.
You are my hero for making the kids go to school in their pajamas! They SHOULD be terrified of you!
ReplyDeleteMy mom never got up with me in the mornings and I got myself off to school. She was home all day sleeping so if I was going to skip - I wasn't going home!
That being said, I did skip quite a few classes in high school. I wasn't stupid enough to skip the whole day but I did skip classes. The irony is, I was a good kid (mostly) and got good grades. I did my homework. I can't recall ever being turned in for skipping. Students helped out in the attendance and princpal's office. I was office assistant in the principal's office. I think I just flew under the radar.
shannon
I also think the PJ's thing was a good move. Of course, in my kids' schools, the other students wouldn't have given a kid in pajamas a second look.
ReplyDeleteI did skip in the 7th grade and had perfected writing notes on behalf of my parents. When I got caught, it was because I turned myself in to my parents when my cohort in crime was busted by his parents. It lessened the punishment at home (I think I was grounded for a week) but at school, it was pretty scary. They actually had this truant officer take us into an office, whip out his badge and scare the living crap out of us. It was definitely a scared straight situation because I did not skip school again until I was in high school. By then, my parents couldn't have cared less as long as I stayed out of trouble and brought home the grades. Of course, I was the youngest of 7 kids and they had already experimented with various forms of punishment on the older kids and realized that an occasional day off from school wasn't so bad.
In our school systems, an automated phone call goes out if a kid doesn't show up. Pretty smart of your son to try to trick them. I wouldn't say a word to him about you knowing it. Wait until he tries to skip again and you get the call instead of it diverting to his cell phone. You have to admit, as upsetting as it may be to you, the look on his face would be priceless.