Anatomy of a Report

I almost had another “Fail” as a mother yesterday……
You ever leave your kids to their own devices thinking, “GREAT! They are showing initiative and not asking for help; they got this handled!!!”……only to find out there was a “MAY DAY, MAY DAY” out in the universe on their behalf???

Ya…that was me yesterday!

Avery asked if she could stay home and finish her “Big Report” on Martin Luther King. As she never asks that question, I figure she knows how much she has ahead of her, and I grant her wish. I was on my way out to get Aspen and take her to dance and then off to the gym.

About an hour later, I get a call from the husband, who’s not sounding too happy. I ask why he is yelling at me (my perception, I’m sure) and he said, “Your daughters report needs help!”

I’m thinking, “Hey buddy, I’m FINALLY at the gym for some ME time, and you are infiltrating my ZEN!” But as any ‘good’ mother would do, I cut it short!

……what? What’s that you say? Why isn’t the FATHER helping? Why is she “MY” daughter??? Well, I’m glad you asked….. I’ll tell you.
He is genetically ill-equipped to handle this child. Their DNA is like opposing magnets and the forces fight each other. And as we are not a perfect family, we do realize our strengths and weaknesses and do our best to preserve our children’s sense of self.

If HE had sat with her, I would have come home to TWO puddles on the floor….. So, instead, I cut my workout short and head home.

What I find when I get home is an eager and excited girl who has her report on my computer “Ready to be printed!”
But at my husbands recommendation, before I waste any precious ink ($15 per cartridge) I open the report and it all hits me in the face…….

Though my daughter tried her best and she did read through her books…..She looks like she was drinking while she did her report. (and yes, I asked if her if she was drinking while she did her report….but not until we were done with her “REAL” report)

Her facts were squishy, her dates were transposed (because mom died six months after MLK when she meant YEARS), etc…. She put “Dissection” instead of Discrimination, etc…. You get the drift.

Now, as I read her report and looked at her happy accomplished face, I knew that things were going to go south with her real quick. Because what I was going to do was challenge her knowledge…..and make her start all over again!

The first half of the report was calming her down and talking her through. She was angry she had to do a re-write, and I totally understand that. But what I had to do was back up with her and say, “You’ve already read the material and you know him (as much as one could know him while “skimming” the material). All you have to do, is rearrange some stuff, embellish a bit more and voila……

Only it didn’t work that way.

Martin Luther King Jr. was an integral part of our history. I didn’t want her walking away from this reporting just knowing his name and a few dates. I read through the book with her and I actually teared up as I read the words from his speech. At this point, she started realizing, “Oh….he must be important”. I played his speech on YouTube so she could “Meet” him.

I explained to her that her report has to show HOW he became who he was. She had skipped over many details of his childhood that were significant to who he was and where his passion came from. Then we added events that happened throughout his life and how Rosa Parks helped put his efforts on the map!

I wouldn’t lie if I didn’t say I learned a thing or two myself!!

In the end, her report is fabulous. It took a few hours and a lot of re-writing, but I could see she was proud of her efforts.

She’s a good kid and I’m proud that she took the initiative to write this report herself. And to be honest, if Chris didn’t check it out first, we would have been up MUCH later, because I might not have glanced at it…maybe at all.

It was a good lesson to me that just because my kids ACT like they are capable, doesn’t mean they don’t still need guidance!!!

Hats off to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. For all your worlds efforts and for helping me get a little closer to my redhead!

Happy Wednesday