Restriction...

Yep... I have a preschooler on restriction.. Actually, he got off yesterday but I am sure that he will be back on it on Monday.

and he wants to be come a preschooler dropout...

Grant has always had listening issues. When he was two, I used to wave my hands in his face to get his attention. His greatest asset and his greatest shortcoming is that he has extreme focus (more than me - a lot like his dad). He spends hours working on "his projects" and he really wants to be left alone. Now this works to my advantage. Yesterday evening, he spent 1.5 hours pulling weeds (once I clarified to him what was a weed). I had to make him quit so we could eat. He was so determined to get every weed (he would be there all night). It is also nice that we have always been able to get our work done and he would stay busy doing whatever he claimed as a project (and most of the time, these projects are approved by us). He likes to work side by side with his dad. His dad works on remodeling... Grant works on some task given to him - like hammering nails in to a board or sorting nails and screws. He can spend all day doing a task.

Most teachers have really enjoyed having Grant. They love to see what he comes up with next and that love that he is self-sufficient. He could spend all day rearranging the kitchen center. The teachers did not have to occupy his time. His current teacher really loves this but she is a Montessori teacher. She used to work in a school where the kids self-led themselves in their own projects. She has told me on numerous occasions that Grant would thrive in that type of setting teaching himself at a very fast pace. This is not going to happen. We could never afford Montessori and we believe that he should learn traditionally also.

His current teacher has been on vacation for a month in India so here comes the substitute. She is tough on him and all the kids. She expects respect. She wants them in very straight lines. She wants every activity planned down to the minute. I think she is great for Grant. If a kid talks out of turn, in to timeout. If a kid won't stay seated on their square during story time, in to timeout. They are not allowed the usual squirming or encroaching on someone else's square. She has been drilling them literally. They practice walking in a line several times a day. If a kid gets out of the line, they get to spend time in the time out chair. Ha!!! Grant is failing miserably. He is not a conformist. So this past week, he has spent time with the younger classes when the class is doing a cooking project or going outside to play. He almost lost his trip to the children's museum.

I get the reports and at home, I am also enforcing the punishment. Last week, I took away his scissors (remember projects that he insist that have to be done!). He would have rather I took away eating. He cried and cried for his scissors. I told him he could have them back when I get a good report. Monday this week, I had another bad report - not listening...not being quiet during nap time. Ok, so I took away his MP3 player that the Easter bunny brought him. He only has listen to it once. I swear when I told him (which was at school), he completely lost it. He was like please you can have all my toys but don't take my MP3 player away! So I told him the next day he better listen or I will keep it for some time. Another bad report... ok, time out at home and I keep your scissors and MP3 player and no Easter candy after dinner. Wednesday, another bad report... 30 minutes in a chair in the middle of the room and if he was bad tomorrow, he would not get to go to Lucy's birthday party nor see the baby at my dr's office, he would have to go to school again.

Yesterday, I asked the teacher how was he. She was hesitant and said that he was pretty good all day...she only had to make a threat that she would tell his mom and he rushed to do what was needed. The only thing is that he talks in the line (apparently to himself) and that he doesn't stay straight in the line. Well, no other teacher has made him "line up in very straight quiet lines" so I told her that we would hold off on punishment at home this time because it is a new concept. She said that he would stay in line just not directly behind the other kid....ok, he is 4.

Why do I like Mrs. G? Grant has a lot of creativity and self learning skills that I have been afraid that he would not gain by going to daycare and preschool. He does not have listening skills. He will start state funded preK in the fall. He will have to listen and learn that school is not all about working on "your own projects". Anyway, she is good for him. I find that she probably is little too military for other kids. Some of these kids really need to be pushed in figuring things out themselves and not to rely on the teacher for everything. Grant, on the other hand, would do just fine in a room by himself with paper, scissors, and glue for the entire day. A camera would be sufficient just to make sure he didn't cut himself. Where he does have problems is with being with people and not be allowed to complete his task! Man, I swear if he is doing "a project" he will ignore you if you ask him to come dinner, go to the park, move on to the next center, etc. He isn't ready. He will have a very difficult time in school but I believe he has the capacity to be a brilliant scientist or an engineer. He definitely has better self motivating skills than I do! And he would love to be left alone in a lab or on a computer all day to do his "project". I hate this myself. I want more human interaction but that is what I do!