I’m getting very frustrated lately, and feel the need to get some things off of my chest.  Let me use bullet points, that way I won’t be inclined to get too detailed:

• There is NO program at our church for the sixth graders.  NONE.  We immerse them in Sunday school and the music program until the fifth grade.  Leave them out of everything for the sixth grade, then expect them to be ripe and ready for the confirmation classes when they hit the seventh grade.  SO. VERY. WRONG.  Of course, I have a sixth-grader.  I had a sixth-grader three years ago, too, and she was in the same position.
• People who don’t care that only ONE child is in the sixth grade at our church.  Wonder why there’s only one???
• Teachers who bring their very personal lives into the classroom – the THIRD grade classroom.  Divorce?  Husband took child that wasn’t his, just to get back at the teacher?  Is this REALLY something that should be shared with this age-group?  Kids are told ALL of it.  In the THIRD grade!  Yes, I’m realistic and know these things occur.  And I empathize with the teacher’s situation.  But, I am NOT very tolerant of an ADULT saying these things to my child, without my knowledge or permission — my EIGHT YEAR-OLD child.
• Generalizations and stereotypes in calling people idiots (oooh, she changed it to weak after I had a tizzy-fit), when the person making these statements is supposed to be a mentor and youth assistant for the high-schoolers at our church.  Facts?  Who cares?  Let’s just toss names out, without knowing the basis or research involved in addictions and genetics.
• People who demand my time, without notice.  As in, their emergency does not constitute an emergency on my part.
• The arms on my office chair are falling off.  I can’t afford a new chair right now, either.
• Seven hens lay just 1-2 eggs a day.  What gives?  Get busy, girls!
• We’ve had a brown summer (no rain) and now are starting a green fall (lots of rain).  huh? 

And just for a laugh – Mr. T questioned my responses to some of the points above, because I told him I emailed some of the folks involved….and he asked (very nicely, of course), “Did you talk like a house had just come down and killed your sister?”

BRAT!

**UPDATE**

Just received a lovely phone call from the principal of the elementary school to let me know that he has spoken to the teacher and asked her to leave her personal life out of the classroom, as he totally agreed with my assessment that there are some things that are inappropriate for that age-group.  Understandably, she was upset last week (who wouldn’t be?), but it’s not the children’s problems.  It should never have been brought up for discussion. 

Then he laughed at a discussion he overheard with DD#2 in the lunch room yesterday.  He said she was complaining that her sister didn’t pack her a spoon in her lunchbox, and asked him if she could borrow a spoon.  He said yes.  He said when she came back and sat down, she explained that it was her little sister’s job to pack the lunches each day…and a big discussion occurred between her and her classmates about the chores (and I’m sure she used that word with the biggest sighs and whines a drama queen can muster) that they had to do before and after school.  Her classmates couldn’t believe it – CHORES?  For KIDS?  I explained to him that yes, we were kinda old-fashioned that way and we expect our children to act responsibly in our home, just as they are to act responsibly in school. 

His response?  “I believe that that’s what’s wrong with our world today, we’ve lost those old-fashioned values.”  How kind.  And insightful!