Halloween Night

It's Halloween night. All eleven jack-o-lanterns are lit, lining the walkway, waiting for the first trick-or-treaters to arrive. My wife and I discussed at some length our Halloween decorations; we wanted it fun & spooky, but not scary for the little ones. We'll find out shortly if we succeeded.

One person who won't be scared is our youngest, Tristan. He's five, but thinks he's a teenager. He's certainly smart enough to be one, something that can be both a blessing and a curse. His kindergarten teacher told us that in thirty years of teaching, she's never had a child as bright as him. Unfortunately, all the tricks she uses to get kids to behave and follow directions, Tristan sees right through.

I didn't even know kindergarteners could get suspended.

My wife and I are now trying to decide if Tristan should be moved up to first grade. To what extent are the behavior problems a result of boredom? Is he socially mature enough for first grade?

We have a meeting tomorrow with the school principal and his teacher. The principal thinks that being in class until 2:00 (which kindergarteners now do in our area) is too much for Tristan, and that he should go home at noon. His teacher, on the other hand, says that Tristan is too smart to not be in class all day. Should be an interesting meeting....

I think after the meeting, I'll go to the library and check out the newest Artemis Fowl book.