Smart is the New Dumb

My son is extremely smart. He’s so creative and innovative. Our nickname for him is “The Engineer”. But sometimes he can lack common sense. Like, he does really dumb stuff. ​

I’ve been checking his grades regularly online since he’s been put on academic probation in the Optional Program. Why is he on academic probation you ask? Because of the Cs he got on his last report card. The Cs were grades that could have and SHOULD have been better. His teacher would literally give him an assignment and say, “Aiden, complete this and turn it in tomorrow.” He would put it in his folder, carry it around in his backpack, bring it to school the next day and TURN IT IN BLANK!!!!! What grade does a blank assignment get, you ask? Well, I’ll tell you!!! It gets a big, fat zero!!!! So many questions ran thru my mind:

1-Why didn’t he start on the assignment when she gave it to him?’
2-If he forgot, why didn’t he remember when I asked him if he had any work to do from school?
3-Why would he turn in a blank paper with his name on it?
4-Why didn’t he lie and say he left it at home or something?
5-Why Why Why!!!!!
So fast forward to tonight. I logged on to check his grades earlier today and he didn’t have a SS grade at all. The teacher put no grades in. I check his grades at 8:30pm and low and behold, there are 4 Social Studies grades, 2 As, 2 Bs and another 0/F. I’m super pissed now.
First, why did the teacher wait to the last minute to put grades in? I know my child is lazy, thus the reason I’m constantly checking on his grades. Secondly, AGAIN Aiden!!!! So I call him downstairs and asks him about the 0/F. He’s making up some lame excuse that doesn’t make any sense. Then he goes into HIS BACKPACK and pulls out a stack of papers. Within the graded papers is the assignment with a 0/F and the word “Missing” circled. Again, several questions run thru my mind:
1-When in the new hell were you going to show me these? (Aiden replies, “I don’t know. Today or tomorrow maybe.”
2-Why did you accept this failing grade?
Stop there! Who gets a failing grade and accepts it as stone? When did failure become the new norm? When did failure become an option?
Aiden, listen very carefully, NEVER accept failure. Failure is NOT your final resort. When you received that 0/F, something in your soul should have felt uncomfortable. So uncomfortable in fact, that you would have asked your teacher if you can make-up the assignment. So uncomfortable, in fact, what you would have felt bad about your own lack of attention and did something to change it.
STOP ACCEPTING FAILURE.
I can’t go thru this type of stress every 4.5 to 9 weeks. It’s not good for my hair. I’m gonna end up having random bald spots everywhere. It’s so frustrating because he’s too smart for crap like this.
By the way, he sat down and completed the assignment in less than 30 minutes, and it was remarkable. I messaged his teacher, and she would be happy to accept his completed assignment.

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