Ghandi?

Be the change you want to see in the world. Ghandi

This post is a little tough for me to write. I don't even know where to start.

Ok, let's start at the very beginning... a very good place to start.. (ok. got the song in my head - must go on).

I have a very strange kindergartener. He is Daniel.. He is me... He is very strange..different..

He is an absolute delight. Thank God we live in the city where differences are celebrated!

I could go on and on about what makes my little kindergartener different. You will never understand - unless you spend time with him. I haunt Miles' school for Grant's old teachers to tell them Grant's latest. They know all about him. They know he is going to cause trouble. They absolutely love him for it. Grant knows it too..

Ok.. the story.... what in the heck happened this time? I have story and I am going to tell it.

I get a phone call last week. Daniel calls me at work. Grant's teacher had called him. "Why, I ask?" Daniel answers "Apparently, he got in the mood to protest." He decided to not do his classwork. He tried to lead his fellow students in chanting "We won't do it! We won't do it!"

At this point I am laughing my hiney off - really! All kinds of emotions roll in to this... he is 5 going 6.. how did he come up with that? I am so freaking proud of him and furious at the same time! And.. I see my husband all over that! Daniel is such a non-conformist. He learned for the sake of learning... not for a grade. He probably is the most intelligent man I have ever met.

I meet with Grant later on. Now I am only mad. I try to understand.. but I really don't. I don't think my parents ever got a phone call about my behavior in school. I wanted to please everyone. I almost always was the teacher's pet because I would bend over backwards to do whatever got their praise. With kids, I would do whatever they wanted too just to be friends. This son of mine..could care less what anyone thinks. He doesn't care what the kids think.. He doesn't care what the teachers think.. He is going to do what he wants because he wants to. Luckily, he is just like Daniel - he has a huge thirst for knowledge. He is reading chapter books on his own now. I heard him last week trying to explain to Miles how a lever works. He is constantly thinking on how something works.

We punished him.... told him he had to conform. That is just the way of the world. Sorry sweetie.. Hope you never do - fight me .....don't conform!

For his punishment - he got a week of restriction. No Airbender shows/No TV - He thinks his Dad and I are watching them without him!

A major chore everyday - he is working on dusting my baseboards.

No sugar at all - Trying to help him with focus. This was just very sad.. Valentines was last week.. I had bought him chocolate. He hasn't had any.. I made a cheesecake and brownies for V-day. He watched us eat them.

Daniel had to tell him "While Egypt protested and had a regime change, you will not get a regime change with protest."

Grant asked me what is a regime. I told him leadership. Yes, Grant, you are stuck with your leadership. The world is going to try and make you conform..... I am going to enforce the rules but I secretly hope you never change.

Two days later, Grant got in trouble again for not listening. I sighed when he told me. "Grant, we have taken away everything. What else can we take away?"

He looked thoughtful.. "How about not giving me dinner for a week?" (a hunger strike?) BTW, I never would consider this!

Is he another Ghandi?

Before you judge me, know this, not once during the dealing out of punishment did Grant cry. He never does. He is a tough kid and has excuses for everything.

The following were his responses when I told him his punishments:

- Sugar rots your teeth.

- TV is bad for your mind.

- Chores are good for you.

The only emotion I could get from him was when I asked him " were we bad parents?" That upset him. That made him sad.

Gosh. I love that non-conformist!

I have a feeling Miles will conform. He always looks to me for approval. When he does something, he turns around and claps for himself. Grant would have never done that!