Junior High Angst - 25 years later

I wasn't a particularly big fan of junior high when I was first there 25 years ago. I consider myself lucky to have passed through that tumultuous time and made it to the other side: the side of *not being in junior high.* And yet, here I sit doing it again. Yes, I'm less removed this time; but I'm there just the same. Colin's experience had its trials, no question. But he weathered the storm well, and came out quite nicely.

Aidan's experience is transporting me back there with disturbing clarity. He's miserable. I'm miserable. His grades are suffering alongside both of us. Sadly I have to sit back and watch him make his own mistakes most of the time. It's a struggle to find the right balance on my part of "help" (interference) and patience. We've implemented a few organizational changes to help with the grades; but he's mostly on his own when it comes to the friends/bullies/junior high angst. Hitting puberty later than your peers is not something I have experienced personally, so all I can really do is reassure him that yes, it will happen *someday.* And we both hope it will be a soon-day rather than a later-day.

So he's typing part of his book report now. The report that is due tomorrow. The report that (miraculously) got mostly done on his own - until I looked it over and made him redo the parts that he skipped/forgot to follow the instructions on. It's one of those "project" reports - Ugh. The bane of a parent's existence. (I really don't understand the concept of these. Does making some kind of board game or TV interview or whatever else really make reading a book more interesting? I'm betting some killer project could be done with the right blend of Cliff's notes and creativity. And get an A. Is that really the point of these things? It's a tempting idea...) The kind that need to be done, and done well if your kid has any hope of passing the class - and that's iffy at this point with him. If I never see one of these reports again, it will be too soon. And we have 7 more quarters left of junior high school. And that doesn't even count the 2 kids who haven't even gotten there yet.

So he'll be missing Tae Kwon Do this afternoon. Edwin gets to go, because his homework is done. Julia and I will be off to the store to find an appropriate "non-food-item" birthday treat for her to bring in to school to share with her classmates tomorrow. It will probably be something that requires assembly.
Another project.
Goody.