There is one thing that Dancing Daughter is going to find a challenge during the rest of her high school years and that is attendance. She is an amazing student. She does all of her work quickly and efficiently and she remembers to turn it in, something Star Wars Son had trouble remembering to do. She does extra work to get honors credit in the classes that offer it. She's well behaved in the classroom and participates in discussions.
Her downfall is attendance. She's an active girl doing both dance and church activities in the evenings. She frequently wakes up exhausted and feeling sick, stomach ache, headache, overall aches. Many times I make her get up and see how she feels, then I insist she goes to school but tell her she can call me if she keeps feeling sick. Sometimes, like the other day, when I wake her up she is just so exhausted she starts crying, begging me to let her stay home.
It's really conflicting to me because she is such a great student. When she misses school she makes up the work even if she has to stay after school to do it. Unfortunately teachers have the option of lowering a grade based only on attendance. She hasn't had one of those teachers yet, but I know she will at some point.
I know as a parent I should make her avoid activities that keep her out in the evenings, but she loves dance and church youth activities so much that I feel really bad suggesting she cut back on them. Plus I have that whole, "she is such a great student", idea in my head. It's hard to justify to her why she needs to cut back when she's getting a 4.0.
I'm relieved it's the end of the school year and I don't have to worry about it until the Fall, but it's a worry in the back of my mind. Have any of you been in a situation with your children like this and if so how did you resolve it?
Ugh. A tough one. But I think attendance is important. Part of being an adult is knowing your limits so you can honor all your commitments. Still, she does get the job done.... Now: how is the new gig?????
Posted by: Mental P Mama | June 16, 2010 at 07:54 AM
Wow, that is a tough one. I think a part of being a student is learning to balance activities with school. It's a great lesson for the future because as an adult we learn that "hey I can't stay out all night and still be bright and chipper for work" it just doen't work that way.
Sorry you're in such a pickle!
Posted by: Meg | June 16, 2010 at 08:16 AM
I had to go back and read the last few posts to catch up & so glad I did! Congrats on the new job!
About your daughter... Maybe she needs a checkup at the doctor's. Mr. Snoots actually had ulcers when he was a kid. I always had trouble getting the son up but SD always popped out of bed before I did. However, we never allowed them to stay out past 10:00 PM (on school nights) once they were in high school. They also had to come straight home from school & get their homework done, first thing.
Maybe something else is making her so tired, like not getting a good night's sleep. At any rate, I do hope you get to the bottom of it.
Posted by: Liz C. | June 16, 2010 at 10:40 AM
Yes, a dilema, but what can you do, resort to mandatory bedtime? Yeah, not gonna work for a teenager.
Just hope she schedules her college classes for the afternoon!
Posted by: deb | June 16, 2010 at 12:55 PM
Danger Boy has no immune system whatsoever (possibly related to his Tourette's syndrome) and is always sick. If I don't let him take the sick day right off he'll be sick for a week. Plus, he suffers from insomnia There's no winning.
He is in the pool a lot, but he's also asleep by 10 every night.
I say that if you let the teachers know what's going on and she's making up work that should be good enough. I think most teachers are willing to be flexible.
Posted by: Jenn @ Juggling LIe | June 17, 2010 at 06:02 PM