Double, Double Toil and Trouble

    Elliott and Elijah have been giving their teachers the blues. Each day Hubby and I ask, “How was your conduct?” Prior to parent-teacher conferences, their conduct was dismal. But after talking to their teachers, their conduct seemed to improve greatly! Until today. A mere 2 business days after parent conferences.​

I’m at work when I get a message from Elijah’s teacher.
“I was explaining something to the class and a few students started talking. I said well I guess I’m done talking since you guys are talking. Mr. Lockhart looks up and say you are done talking.”
Really Elijah!!! REALLY!!!! I respond to his teacher and set a reminder on my Apple Watch to deal with him when I get home.

So after an effective day at work, a relaxing evening at the beauty shop and a quiet ride home, I am ready to deal with the foolishness. I tam ready to tackle Toil and Trouble. Elijah happens to be in the restroom, so I ask Elliott THE question, “How was your conduct today?”
He hesitates. This is definitely a bad sign.
Elliott: Well Mom, I was on yellow today. (Yellow is the equivalent of an old school N in conduct.)
Me: (I calmly asks) Why are you on yellow?
Elliott: Well, I don’t know.
Grandma: (WHAM!!!! She pops him good.) Try again.
Elliott: I was throwing paper in the class and it hit someone.
Me: Why were you throwing paper in class?
Elliott: The class was lining up with the teacher, so I threw paper.
Me: Okay…so you had to move your clip down.
Elliott: Yea.
Me: So you moved your clip down once?
Elliott: Yes.
We spent another 10 minutes discussing and issuing a consequence. Mr. Toil was relatively easy to deal with tonight. Now onto Mr. Trouble.

Elijah comes downstairs and I asks him the same question, “How was your conduct today?” He admits that he was on yellow and that he talked back to his teacher. But it gets worst!!!!!
Me: So you only moved you clip down once today?
Elijah: No, I moved it down 3 times.
Me: ….stares blankly….You moved it down how many times?
Elijah: 3 times. I started on “Ready to Learn” (aka S.) and then I moved down to “Teacher Choice Consequence” (aka N). Then I moved down again. (Which is now a U in conduct.) But Mom…BUT…I moved up again because I was reading quietly.
Me: Elijah, we talked about this at the parent teacher conference. How many times are you suppose to move your clip down?
Elijah: 1 time
Me: …hard stare…
Elijah: 3 times
Me: ….(I take a step forward. This child is about to be popped)….
Elijah: 2 times????
Me: BOY ARE YOU SERIOUS!!!!! HOW MANY TIMES A DAY SHOULD YOU MOVE YOUR CLIP DOWN??!?!?!?!?!?!
Elijah: Ummmmm….(preparing to give a dumb answer…)

And out of nowhere, comes a voice of reason.

Eve: Zero Elijah. Zero times!!!!!

And my mom and I did the worst thing you could do when trying to discipline a child…….LAUGH!!!!!! Eve just came out of nowhere, sounding like a little sensible fish.

Elijah (aka Mr. Trouble) and Elliott (aka Mr. Toil) have said that it is easier to make good grades than have good conduct.

(……in grows more gray hairs….)
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