H is horribly letting me down...

Just when I had commenced feeling really proud of myself for having taught H all those fantastic things which often a lot older kids do not know, he has rudely proved to one and all that I was wrong, grossly wrong ! Only two days at school have shown me how badly lacking he is in his basic behaviour.

Since two years, both S and I had firmly ensured that we never over-protect and spoil H,  he has proved successfully in just two days that he is exactly that – a spoilt brat. He cries all the time if I move as much as an inch away from him, keeps me fearfully clutched, wants his favourite toys, screams at the top of his voice, throws everything, refuses to eat or drink,  and disobeys every instruction. He only wants two things, mama and trains, that’s all.

He still drinks milk from his bottle and has to be spoon fed only fine puried select foods and still wears diapers all 24 hour.

Yesterday, I had to attend a staff meeting with him on my heels and he turned it into a nightmare for me as well as others too. For a while he was quiet so long as he kept joining train tracks but the moment he tired of it he started throwing the track pieces saying the track was broken. He further threw which ever toy, car, aeroplane, blocks etc were offered to him. He demanded juice and when given, instead of drinking, he never would have drunk it anyway, he immersed his entire hand into the liquid ! He suddenly noticed ABCD on a magnet board; I hopefully thought it would engage him at least for next few minutes but he violently struck  all the magnet alphabets off the board ! At one time he gleefully threw a solid wooden block across the table. Two teachers were just lucky enough not to get a black eye or bulges ! I could sense their unexpressed irritation and eyes rolling at my back !

I am deeply upset. It seems so hollow to profess that I have spent years of my life in disciplining others’ kids and absolutely resent over loving, over protective  parents. His behaviour is casting a grim shadow not just on my parenting but also on my professional skills. What right have I to tell parents how to discipline their kids when I can’t my own?

I am going to change my dealing methods with Henry and see if strictness and firmness will succeed where love and affection has apparently failed.

By the way, here in this school we have staff meetings every fortnight. All the teachers assemble together in a predecided room and discuss school affairs over hearty snacks....