How Sweet It Is....

I had a meeting with Dylan's teacher this afternoon. He is having trouble completing assignments and getting out of his seat a little too much. I wanted to talk with his teacher to see if there were any other issues with him and to let her know we would be working with him at home to help with these issues as well. I expected to only hear negative comments and little tolerance for "trouble making" kids. I was soooo surprised and sooooo pleased to hear her only say positive things about Dylan. He really is an amazing kid. He is a helpful, sweet, and loving child. But like any kid, he does have his trouble areas. School in general seems to be one for him. We have been talking with him each night about what is expected and what we know he is capable of. Yesterday was the worst day so far since school has started. By some miracle, Trey and I were both able to handle the situation in a positive way. We spoke with him calmly and placed the responsibility of his actions on himself. He determines whether or not he will have a good day. AND IT WORKED!! His teacher told me today how he tried hard to keep up and finish his assignments, he stayed in his seat, and did not talk excessively today. She said it was the best day he has had so far. She went on to say how sweet and helpful he is. She agreed with me in saying that she thinks he can handle his own behavior and she will do whatever it takes to help him have a great school year. Teachers are really special people. I was really proud of Dylan today. It was a great feeling to hear her say so many wonderful things about him and to know, as parents, that we are having a positive impact on his life. My favorite part was when she told me how hard he tried today to improve in the areas we talked about with him the night before. I wanted him to know how proud I was so I did something that I rarely ever do...I stopped by the local bakery "How Sweet It Is" and bought the kids each a cupcake. (I was sure to let him know that I will not be buying cupcakes for every single good day at school) But that it really means alot to me that he was able to work really hard and have a good day at school. Even without the cupcake, I think he understood how rewarding it is to make good decisions for himself. We will continue to work on this daily I am sure, but at least it seems we are moving in the right direction.