The boys all brought their report cards home. Doc is doing great. Still some pronunciation issues but should be at par by first grade. Tio always gets good grades because he's bright and his former school had higher achievement that they still haven't reached. His big weakness is that he doesn't study, rushes his work and doesn't check. That's also consistent with his world view in general: if it doesn't come easy, don't bother. Kit, who we know is trouble in school, brought home a report that described his inattention, constant meddling in other people's affairs, disrupting the class, and disobeying teacher's instruction. All in all no surprises but I was really hoping for better. I want Tio to spark to academics instead of just seeing them as a necessary evil and Kit has to accept that avoiding learning isn't an option.
After Buddy got home, I asked if he saw the report cards.
"Yes," he said excitedly. "They're AWESOME."
Now, I know that awesome is an overworked word these days but --- really? Awesome? Is there that big a divide between what he and I see? Am I expecting too much not wanting Kit to sink and Tio to do more than skate through? I didn't want to ask what his expectation is because he might get defensive and that won't help. At the same time, he goes to all the same teacher conferences and the special meetings that I do. Maybe he thinks we've covered this and the report is just a formality. I couldn't say.
What I can say is that I believe both of these boys can do much better. Will he be there to help with the heavy lifting?
