And as usual, I asked my youngest how was her day, just to give my son enough time to talk!
Eventually it was my son’s turn to tell me what is going on.
“we had a surprise sose ( history test) today” He said
“And?” I asked
“I didn’t do well, How was I to know what King John signed in 1215?”
“Magna Carta” I replied
The look on his face was priceless! that his Jurassic park mom who didn’t know anything about the Christmas gamma ray burst knew what King John signed in 1215!! ( ok, to be fair, I love history and I know the dates)
This post isn’t meant to blow my trumpet ( ok, may be a little)
My son was upset that he wouldn’t be getting 100% marks because the teacher didn’t tell the class in advance that there would be a test and he didn’t read and therefor he didn’t know what happened in 1215.
I have never encouraged my children to study for the exams. I didn’t want them to learn just to get an A,
Anyone can get an A. What I wanted for my children was that they understand what they are studying and use that knowledge.
So, much as I felt sorry for my son ( his world collapses when he doesn’t get 100% marks), I felt it was a good lesson for him, that he should always be prepared for everything.
As soon as I reached home I received a call from the mother of one of my son’s classmate.
She asked me if I had any advance notice about the SOSE test they had and I replied No, I didn’t.
( I think she would have thought of me poorly if I had told her the truth that my kids never tell me when they have tests )
She was upset because like my son, her son also didn’t do well because he also didn’t study.
She felt the teacher is wrong and is planning to write to the school to complain.
I am not blogging this post to paint another mother in a bad light. Every mother wants the same.
“Give the child the best opportunities and help them to achieve their goals.”
What worries me is as the mother of my children is, Am I doing it the wrong way? Am I failing them because I don’t check their work, I don’t sit with them, I don’t teach them and most of all I don’t even get them to study for exams?
I am so scared of screwing up my children’s life.