Well you would have thought I was trying to start WWIII at the table tonight.
Tori has homework, which includes reviewing her spelling and a few vocab words the class has been getting tripped up on.
Matt tackles most of the spelling until we get to "taking"
'No it's talking dad'
'No on your list that you wrote it says taking'
'No I know the word is supposed to be talking, how is it spelled?'
Me: 'Tori we can't tell you how it's spelled that defeats the purpose of the practice for your test tomorrow'
'But it's talking just how is it spelled and then I'll know what word it is'
The words are also typed in a list by the teacher as well as hand written in her day planner. Matt and I both confirm for her that all 3 lists agree the word is taking.
'But if you don't just...
"No Tori just spell the word taking, that's the word, spell taking.'
Finally she writes down taking on her paper.
Few more words and said list is done, the only oops being equipped which likely only had one p or a t instead of a d. No biggie.
I have an e-mail from the teacher that lays out 4 vocab words they are struggling with; ponder, conquer, resistance, anticipation.
She accurately details ponder, conquer takes a second because she tries to use conquer in her answer and it takes a minute to understand that you can't use the word in the definition.
'Resistance'
'Like when you are stopping from eating tacos even though you really want them.'
'No that's resisting, you are showing resistance but that's not actually a good definition or example of resistance because your are resisting eating the tacos.'
'No that's what my teacher said, that's what we wrote down. That's resistance.'
I have to actually think for a second here about how to come up with two more appropriate examples to demonstrate the action of resisting vs. the description of resistance.
'Well resistance is like when I try to turn the wrench on the bolt but it won't move, there is resistance making it so I can't turn the wrench. Or when the chair won't slide nicely across the floor there is resistance making it so it won't slide smoothly. If I am showing resistance then I am actively resisting. Like right now your are resisting that you are wrong, or you not eating the tacos is resisting eating the tacos.'
'No Mrs. Martz told us that, so that's what we wrote down, your wrong'
'No your teacher is wrong, I will look it up to show you.' Look it up on webster.com, read the definition for her. 'See so resistance is a little different than resisting, so if that's what you wrote down, it's wrong.'
'Mrs Martz is a teacher, she isn't wrong' cue water works
'Well Tori I just proved it to you, she is wrong'
'She went to college, she's smarter.'
'I went to college too, I know what resistance is. I read you the definition.'
'I'll prove it to you that's what we wrote down and you're wrong, Mrs. Martz can't be wrong.'
stomping, crying screaming all the while
Now I'm mad because she won't stop arguing. 'Ok what ever go to bed.'
'Why doesn't William have to go to bed?'
"GO TO BED!'
crying, screaming something less than intelligible about how I'm wrong and she's not arguing she stomps up the stairs.
Like seriously when did I become the village idiot? I know she's a teacher, but I happen to be a well educated individual as well, and no I'm not f***ing wrong! But apparently telling her that her teacher was wrong was about the stupidest thing that could have ever come out of my face...
Who knew...
I've also been wrong for telling her that her having a dresser full of clothes means she has to be able to find something to wear, I don't care if it's what she wants to wear, she's 8 get dressed. Which ranks next to the fact that she is a kid so she needs to be in kid conversations but needs to leave adult conversations to adults. Add it to that screaming match from two weeks ago about how I can't do whatever I want just because I'm a parent. And sprinkle a little being the meanest mom because I won't always answer her questions, because oh yea, she's 8 and doesn't need to know everything.
So now I'll just sit here and vent to the digital world about my glaring inadequacy as a mom/parent/adult because once again I made a grievous mistake by telling her not only that she was wrong, but also ... her teacher was wrong.
So stupid!!
How many more years of verbal torture and mental gymnastics did I sign up for???
