Basketcase

As I am sure you are aware, to practice for severe weather, there were tornado drills today at 1:45 and 6:55. Well, I bet you weren't aware that I have a mom of one of my students who decided that her son should not be part of the drill, for it might "traumatize" him. Apparently, when we had a fire drill in the fall, he was so frightened that he didn't sleep well for 2 months and he was paranoid about every little beep. So pulling him out for the drill is going to help his paranoia? When she called on Monday to warn me of his and her upcoming spazz attack, I tried to reason with her. "You know, we will have at least 4 fire drills and 2 tornado drills a year. If Josiah is in school for 13 years, that is a lot of drills. He needs to get used to them now. Pulling him out is actually going to hurt matters." She sort of agreed, but said I didn't understand what it was like for those 2 months with sleep deprivation for mom and child. HELLO?!? I think I understand sleep deprivation, what with an 8 month old and everything. I also told her that technically, we are not supposed to know when a drill happens because if it was the real thing, you wouldn't know and since these are supposed to be practice for the real thing...She didn't like that answer, either. She called our principal, who expressed similar concerns and tried to reason with her to no avail. The mom said she would be in to pick up Josiah at 1:40.

Well, obviously, she is not a whiz at telling time, because as soon as the tornado drill started to go off, I see her flying down the hallway. "Oh...oh my gosh...I'm late...Josiah!" "He's not here, " I told her. "What...where is he?" I told her that the children were in computer class, so she bolts down there, all freaked out. "Oh, Josiah, it's gonna be okay..." as she picks him up and cradles him like an infant. Seriously? Call me crazy, but I think she is the one with the fire/tornado drill issues (among other things), not him.

This year teaching has really opened my eyes to a lot of things, but I promise you all this: I will NEVER be a freaky, clingy basketcase of a mom. And if for some strange or horrible reason, I become one, smack me HARD!!!