Today was one of those days that tests a mother's patience.Well, all days test our patience in one way or another , but today was a doozy! My 8th grader gets into the car and announces he got a 3 on the FCAT writes. For my my Non-Floridian friends, FCAT is a standardized test given in certain grades . 8thgrade being the year that the writing FCAT really matters. He announces his mediocrity in a car full of middle school students and doesn't even sound alarmed. I, on the other hand, envision a child (who, BTW gets straight A's) that is never leaving middle school, thus never leaving my house keeping my grocery bill in weekly triple digits forever. I am panic stricken. He FAILED it. You see last year a grade of 3 was passing but this year they raised the standard to a 4. So a mere 12 months ago a 3 would of been fine, a passing grade,insurance that he would not be put with the slow learners in high school. But today, however, a 3 is pretty much a guarantee he will be with kids working on the Dick and Jane book series.
Now, here is why I found it necessary to vent about this. He didn't really care. I mean, yes , he was kind of annoyed that the test graders didn't enjoy his essay on his trip to Hollywood, California- but he certainly wasn't going to let this bit of news ruin his afternoon. he still watched TV, played basketball,laughed with his friends. This is a little blip on his radar, why is it the whole damn doppler on mine????I stewed about it for hours, emailed his language arts teacher to find out the repercussions of failing and what it will mean for high school. Haven't heard from her yet, from what Zach tells me she will have 17 other emails to answer as well. There were alot of 3's in his grade apparantly. I just want him to feel a little bad about it. But he doesn't. He says "it'll be ok Mom, it's just a test". That attitude could have kept me off Xanax and a therapists couch while I was in college, but I hadn't yet met Zach. Zach of the calm demeanor, of the "whatever will be will be attitude".Do I tell him this attitude doesn't get you into good colleges(hell even mediocre colleges) or do I let him enjoy his last summer before high school, where he will be slapped in the face with responsibility and ,now, remedial writing?
So that is what I was faced with today as a parent. Do I overreact, as I am prone to do on occassion or do I wait patiently for him to feel the effects of this next year in high school? This time I choose patience, because I am taking a page out of his book. Overreacting has only gotten me ulcers and sleepless nights in the past, and Zach has an iron stomach and sleeps like a baby. Maybe I can learn a little something from him, but obviously not how to write...
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