Regression

Sigh.

All that progress. I know she'll get it back, but,

Big, heavy sigh.

Princess's hand-selected first-grade teacher has been on maternity leave for two weeks. I saw it rolling in last week. If it can be stopped, I haven't figured out how. It's like an wave- just waiting until it crashes on the shore and retreats.

This entire week, Princess has spent every waking minute not doing homework. She gets up, sits at the table, and doesn't do homework. She gets home from school, sits at the table, and doesn't do homework. She finishes dinner, sits down at the table, and doesn't do homework. Don't imagine for one minute, though, that all this not doing homework is quiet. It is most certainly not.

Yesterday I spoke with the school and found the problems are not restricted to home, and we set and "intervention" meeting. We're still not done with it. I am so thankful for these people and their dedication to my daughter. Unfortunately, my Suburban was parked in the wrong place for how long the meeting went, and the secretary announcing over the loudspeaker that a "gray Suburban is parked where it is not supposed to be and is blocking the buses," as well as my subsequent tearing through child-filled halls dragging a curly-headed three-year-old clued in Princess that I was there and that I was there for her. Fortunately, she responded to this information by doing her homework. Correctly. In five minutes' time.

As a "good parent," I felt like we should discuss "what was the good thing you were getting out of spending all your time doing your homework wrong." She wouldn't play. She kept saying "jealous," because it was the big feeling LAST TIME, so even though it makes no sense NOW, what the heck, my mom is an idiot. And really, I should not have bothered. She was no where near regulated, and she was not in a mental place to access her feelings. I decided to give her the answer this time.

"It feels pretty powerful, doesn't it? NO ONE can MAKE you do your homework right! NO ONE can MAKE you use the toilet! You are IN CHARGE! You are IN CONTROL! You are IN CHARGE PRINCESS! The SUPER-CONTROL GIRL! I even hummed a theme song and flew around the room with an imaginary cape. I must have hit the nail on the head, because she did. not. like it. Cue fussing and flailing and wailing, "nooooooooooo! Stooooooooop it!"

Math: 4. Mommy: 1. But I get bonus points for creativity, so I still win.