Grumps and privilege
Aug. 8th, 2013 05:03 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
grammarwomanHello, everyone! Why is posting so awkward and weird in my head? I've been fine with commenting in other people's posts, but lacking in the gestalt to create one for me.
I have two main preoccupations right now: conventions (later post, maybe?) and school time for the Emperor.
I forget how much I've shared with you guys, but there are big changes afoot for the little man. He's switching schools so he can join the gifted program. We thought it would be an excellent time for the change, as his former classmates are moving to an interim building so the old building can be renovated. Plus, his amazing social skills teacher is leaving to do something different. (We will miss her so much, I can't even begin to say.)
We knew beforehand that the school he's moving to is in a disadvantaged neighborhood. We requested any other information we could get before we signed him up, and got "Here's a website about our magnet program." So basically, nothing of any use. Like, say, that he will be required to wear a uniform (only 3 schools in the district have this policy), rendering 95% of his current wardrobe unwearable. Or that the school has failed to make adequate reading progress towards the NCLB benchmarks for the fifth year in a row, which could lead to any number of unspecified Bad Things. (Like potential budget cuts for the gifted program or his IEP-mandated support team, but hey, it's not like we asked to know about any of this! Oh, WAIT, we did.) So I am disgruntled and feeling unprepared and nervous.
But also so, so lucky and privileged. Since this new school is on the other side of town, bussing is covered. However (the frogurt is also cursed), because of genius scheduling (seriously, did the people in charge of the routes fail the wandering salesman problem set?), he would have to be at his bus stop an hour and half before school starts, at about 6:15 AM. I don't live in a big town, guys; we live about 3.5 miles away from the school. I think that's a really unreasonable thing to ask of an 8/9 year old (and let's face it, me, because I'd be in charge of getting him ready and out the door on time).
But! Because I have a job that lets me set my own start/end times, as long as core hours coverage is met, and because I have a car I don't have to share with my spouse, I can drive my kid to school and pick him up. So I can complain about it with as much ire as for an annoying hangnail. I really do try to count my blessings. Similarly, I can grouse about having to buy him a whole new wardrobe, but feel lucky when talking to another mom at registration who sheepishly admitted that she's on a reduced income and was super grateful when I told her that Walmart.com had some great deals on uniforms.
I can buy him all new school supplies every year, and easily go to three different stores to catch the best sales.
I can buy him yet another new pair of shoes (he's wearing out about one pair every month or two).
I can pay his school fees, and put money in his lunch account, and sign him up for the afterschool program. These all cost money, and with my husband still unemployed, it hurts a bit, but it's manageable. I don't have to give up one or more to triage the others.
I am so, so privileged (and yet still grumpy).
I have two main preoccupations right now: conventions (later post, maybe?) and school time for the Emperor.
I forget how much I've shared with you guys, but there are big changes afoot for the little man. He's switching schools so he can join the gifted program. We thought it would be an excellent time for the change, as his former classmates are moving to an interim building so the old building can be renovated. Plus, his amazing social skills teacher is leaving to do something different. (We will miss her so much, I can't even begin to say.)
We knew beforehand that the school he's moving to is in a disadvantaged neighborhood. We requested any other information we could get before we signed him up, and got "Here's a website about our magnet program." So basically, nothing of any use. Like, say, that he will be required to wear a uniform (only 3 schools in the district have this policy), rendering 95% of his current wardrobe unwearable. Or that the school has failed to make adequate reading progress towards the NCLB benchmarks for the fifth year in a row, which could lead to any number of unspecified Bad Things. (Like potential budget cuts for the gifted program or his IEP-mandated support team, but hey, it's not like we asked to know about any of this! Oh, WAIT, we did.) So I am disgruntled and feeling unprepared and nervous.
But also so, so lucky and privileged. Since this new school is on the other side of town, bussing is covered. However (the frogurt is also cursed), because of genius scheduling (seriously, did the people in charge of the routes fail the wandering salesman problem set?), he would have to be at his bus stop an hour and half before school starts, at about 6:15 AM. I don't live in a big town, guys; we live about 3.5 miles away from the school. I think that's a really unreasonable thing to ask of an 8/9 year old (and let's face it, me, because I'd be in charge of getting him ready and out the door on time).
But! Because I have a job that lets me set my own start/end times, as long as core hours coverage is met, and because I have a car I don't have to share with my spouse, I can drive my kid to school and pick him up. So I can complain about it with as much ire as for an annoying hangnail. I really do try to count my blessings. Similarly, I can grouse about having to buy him a whole new wardrobe, but feel lucky when talking to another mom at registration who sheepishly admitted that she's on a reduced income and was super grateful when I told her that Walmart.com had some great deals on uniforms.
I can buy him all new school supplies every year, and easily go to three different stores to catch the best sales.
I can buy him yet another new pair of shoes (he's wearing out about one pair every month or two).
I can pay his school fees, and put money in his lunch account, and sign him up for the afterschool program. These all cost money, and with my husband still unemployed, it hurts a bit, but it's manageable. I don't have to give up one or more to triage the others.
I am so, so privileged (and yet still grumpy).
