Feb. 2, 2009 - Back To School Until Summer

The Christian school wanted Jonathan to be full time by the end of the second quarter.  We are into the third quarter and I think we are at the point where he can attend full time now.  He has had two pretty good weeks at home and school.  He still rages some at home and gives the teacher some difficulty at school, but we certainly aren't going to expect perfection.  He knows that he is likely to have to repeat third grade again next year if he continues to choose to not work.  He also knows that I am willing to teach him what he needs to know to help him catch up, if he asks me to teach him.  We have decided that his education is in his hands.  We are not going to battle him.  I provide him the time to do his school work.  His play time gets seriously limited though by his choices to not take care of his responsibilities.  Just one of those life lessons that he needs to learn.

This summer, he will be learning in some manner.  School or work.  He cannot handle hours upon hours of free play.  With his RAD, that much freedom scares him.  He is emotionally about 4 years old and sometimes about one.  I keep him pretty close to me most of the time.  This is what he needs to feel safe and we have seen him fall apart if he is allowed to be outside alone too long.  It is so sad.  But, he is making progress on his healing and that is what counts.  We are getting there.  He is trusting us more and more.  He tells me things that Becca did that he never told me before.  He is gradually learning to talk about his feelings. 

So, for the time, being in school full time will be good.  It will help me to gear up for the summer.  We have had and are under a lot of stress.  Our home is SO much better than it was.  We are all functioning a lot better, but in order to keep things this way, we have to fight a battle.  We have to insist that our daughter can't return home in the near future.  Neither child is ready and we as parents can't handle both of them together in the condition they are both in.  We are still learning how to handle Jonathan.  We all need time. 

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