Posted by Angielala on February 18, 2004, at 11:26:28
In reply to Teenager late (AGAIN) for school, posted by fallsfall on February 18, 2004, at 7:16:41
Wow- that was like reading a post that came from MY mother when I was that age...
My problem was that I had severe anxiety and insomnia, and never got a good night's rest, so in the morning I was exhausted. When I was 15 I also had really bad problems with my thyroid, when the thyroid problem was addressed and they gave me something for it, it was easier to get up. For me I couldn't explain why I couldn't get up. My mother would punish me, flip the mattress on me, set 5 alarm clocks in my room that all went off 5 minutes after each other, she tried having the dog wake me up, tried having someone call me in the mornings, she tried everything. Once it was realized that it was more a health issue, my mother stopped being so harsh. Once she had an "understanding" that I couldn't help it, and that I was really tring, it was easier for me to get out of bed. I felt like a routine was more important than asking me why I can't get out of bed.
But this is only my story...
> Well, my 15 year old daughter may have the earliest bedtime in Babbleland, but I bet that she is late for school the most, too. Today I dropped her off 9 minutes after the bell rang.
>
> Last year she was tardy for school so often that if her first period teacher had wanted to, he could have denied her credit for her math class because she was tardy too often. The Vice-Principal of the school spoke to my husband (who is a school bus driver) about the "problem". I was trying to let the natural consequences at the school take their toll and hope that she would figure it out from that. She certainly has not received an understanding from me that she should be at school when the bell rings (never mind 5 minutes early so she can go to her locker). I have taken away her telephone priviledges on every day that she is late. The child lives for the telephone. The problem with that, is that I'm not always home in the afternoon (I work 2 afternoons a week) - and she can always go to her dad's house where noone is home to enforce the rules.
>
> On the days when she stays overnight at her dad's she has to take the bus - he has already gone to work. In a two week period, I know that she missed the bus twice - once she convinced her dad when he got home at 9AM that she should stay home sick (?!), the other time was during exams and she called me and I took her to her exam 30 minutes late.
>
> I am livid. I set my clock for 6:35 so I can wake her up and make her a lunch (we had a go-round a couple of weeks ago when she wasn't eating well at all, and she and I agreed that I would make sure that she had reasonable dinner to eat, but that she should bring a lunch, too). If *I* can get up and be ready to take her to school, why can't SHE be ready for school? Because she doesn't get out of bed. Because she has to do her hair. Because she has to stare at herself in the mirror. I don't know. I've tried making it her responsibility (that's when the vice-principal talked to my husband). I've tried being nice, funny, quiet, loud, frequent reminders, no reminders.
>
> So, those of you who have kids who go to bed at 11:30 or 2AM or 3AM. Do they get to school on time? How do you do it?
>
> I am so frustrated. What a way to start EVERY day.
poster:Angielala
thread:315042
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20040209/msgs/315135.html