Chatterbox...

A poem for you...

The gum-chewing student

And the cud-chewing cow

Were somewhat alike

Yet different somehow.

Just what is the difference?

I think I know now.

It's the thoughtful look on the face of the cow.

This lovely ditty I learned by heart in 7th grade and have never forgotten it.  That was one of the only times I ever got in trouble at school. I got caught chewing gum, and my teacher made me write the above poem 100 times.  You write anything that many times and you're guaranteed to remember it the rest of your life!

Why do I bring this up? My little nine year old munchkin has displayed quite the  penchant over the last six weeks of school for talking when he shouldn't be doing so. On our way to school recently we discussed appropriate behavior and respect. I told him that in all my school career I virtually never got in trouble. It's the truth.  I was a very by-the-rules kid (still am for the most part).  Alex was incredulous that it would be possible for someone to go through school without conduct deductions. "That's not possible! Nobody is that perfect!" He said. I confirmed that I was not perfect and never have been, but I found it very easy to stay out of trouble.  It just wasn't difficult behaving myself (except for that one time in 7th grade, of course). 

So as the six weeks have rolled along, Alex has successfully raked up the conduct scores. This does not go without a penalty at school. He unfortunately will miss the "Fun Friday" for all of the kids who maintain a straight A average and have no more than six conduct marks. I told him how unfortunate it was to have the straight A's but miss out on such a fun day all because he was a chatterbox at school. And of course, after we could see that his problem was becoming chronic, we began to institute discipline at home. It'll be interesting to see how far we go with this. Will the next six weeks be as challenging for him? What lessons will he take from this? Will he have learned that he, and he alone, is responsible for his actions? 

He may be small for his age, but the kid can talk!

My final question in all of this is where on earth did he get this seemingly uncontrollable chattiness at school? I know it wasn't from me.  A.J. and I were talking about it the other day, and the answer emerged quickly. Alex seems to have inherited his talking at inappropriate times during school from his dear daddy! A.J. said when he was a tyke he was constantly getting in trouble for talking. It's sort of funny when you look at both of us as adults now - I'm more the talker, while he seems to have more of the typical male I-only-talk-a-few-thousand-words-a-day-and-then-I'm-done philosophy!

Anyway, I'm very curious to see how the next six weeks of school plays out for my sweet boy.  I'm hopeful that we'll have gotten a handle on it!! But you can pray for him just in case! :)