Punishments

I don't really discuss G much, unless it is to sigh in frustration at her latest exploit, but I should really. She's 13 now and in the grip of hormones, boys and constant texting, but is still surprisingly sweet and loving. Well sometimes. Occasionally. Stop it,Katie, be nice.

She is having some trouble at school at the moment, and I am seriously considering taking her out and sending her somewhere else. As I may have mentioned a few billion times before, she is in almost constant detention for not wearing her uniform correctly. ie; not having 6 stripes showing on her tie, not having her skirt knee length, not doing up her top button, wearing 40 denier tights not 60, and nacy blue hairbands and not black. Sadly, I am not kidding. They are *that* strict. The last three weeks or so, after some serious discussions (which didn't involve hanging her out of her bedroom window by her ankles, no matter how much I wanted to) she has been dressing absolutely perfectly for school. Yesterday she came home with another detention because a single thread had come out of her tie. Just one, and it made one line of the yellow part seem black. How closely did the teacher have to study her to notice? Are they looking for things that she is doing wrong?

Today was Sports day. I went. Which was a miracle in itself. I invariably don't recognise her when everyone is dressed the same and end up cheering someone else's child on.. it upsets her, so she always tells me it starts after she has finished competing. Hmph. Anyway, today I caught her leg of the relay.. and met up with her at the side , approx 8metres from where she finished. I spoke to her for 45 seconds maybe.. to say "well done," "can I get a picture of you? now smile," and "I've changed your dentist appointment.." That was it.

Her teacher saw and immediately punished her. Tomorrow, because she spoke to her mother, she will be in "inclusion." This apparently means that she is not allowed to go to any of her classes, but will sit in a room on her own all day, lunch and break times included, and do her work in silence. I didn't realise that she had been tried, convicted and sent to solitary confinement. I am so, so angry. How is that a suitable punishment? How is talking to her mother wrong? It didn't say anywhere in the newsletter that competitors are forbidden from speaking to their parents. GRRR.

After she was told this, she cried.. frustration probably.. this annoyed the teacher even more, and she was told to stand outside the stadium. (School hires the local sports stadium for these events as they have proper athletics facilities) G told Mrs B that she still had one more race to compete in.. the final of the relay.. but nope, nothing. Poor child was told that she was forfeiting her place and that someone else would run for her.

Can you bloody believe it? For speaking to me!!! A detention for having a missing thread in a tie and three bloody punishments for talking to her mother. I am furious. And convinced that she will be miserable for the next 4 years. The teacher is her form teacher, and they will be together until the end of year 11. Can they not see that this is turning her off learning? Giving her an excuse for real bad behaviour because whatever she does is wrong, so she may as well give up?

I think it's the Catholic thing. The guilt. The breaking down of resistance, and I think I (we) have done the wrong thing and sent her to the wrong school. I feel like I am letting her down and not protecting her.

K is no sodding use, he got angry, but won't hear of her changing schools.. I just want to keep her home, but can't.
GAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

That's better! I have ranted and feel a little better for it. Maybe. Got to do something though. And I think now is the time to do it.. she'll be choosing her options next year and it'll be too late then.

*sigh*

And in Lal news.. he did three laps of the sports field, ate one handful of sand whilst attempting to copy the long jumpers and fell asleep in the bath. Not bad for a day's work.

K x