Tardy

This last week we received a letter from the principal of our elementary school letting us know that our youngest son has been tardy to school. A lot.  Like 31 of 37 days a lot.

We laughed and laughed, and enjoyed reading and rereading the letter.  Ah, the joys of being a parent of a child with acronyms.  I'm pretty sure we haven't been anywhere on time for years.  Not school, church, doctor appointments, nothing. 

The tardiness starts when we wake him up.  He doesn't want to get out of bed.  Then he doesn't want to eat breakfast.  And, he really doesn't want to go to school.  He can't find his clothes, his shoes, or his backpack.  He hates his breakfast, his lunch and his snack.  He doesn't want to walk or ride his bike.

We really tried for awhile.  We tried anything and everything we could think of.  He has slept in his clothes, walked to school in his pajamas, stood outside in underwear while getting dressed.  I have put him in the car naked (he quickly got dressed) and made him change into clothes in the principal's office (this was the principal's idea). He has skipped breakfast, eaten in the car, and eaten breakfast while walking to school. We even have a supply of food at school just for him.

We have bribed him, punished him, praised him.  We have put him to bed early and woken him up before everyone else. He has even been left behind when he isn't ready on time.

So, now we laugh.  We laugh when aides, teachers, and even principals bring up his tardiness.  We laugh and laugh and laugh. We enjoy our breakfast in peace and then we wake up the child for school.