It's 6:00AM. You wake up and the first thing you think about is how much you dread trying to get your child out of bed and on the bus. You hustle to get yourself put together and presentable to start your day.
It's 6:30AM. The bus arrives to pick up your child at 6:45AM. You head to your child's room. They are still in bed, regardless of the alarm that has been going off at 5 minute increments since 6. They grumble at your shakes and kind pleading, refusing to get out of bed. You finally convince them to get up with minutes to spare. They throw on their clothes, skip breakfast, forget to grab their backpack, and are running to the bus to make sure they make it in time.
It's 10:00AM and you are at work. Your child has been texting you all morning because they forgot their backpack and want you to bring it to them. You can't. You have to make a living, and your boss is already upset that you've been late or had to leave early in similar situations before. You tell your child they are just going to have to face the natural consequences for their forgetfulness.
It's 11:00AM. You receive an email from your child's teacher indicating that your child has not completed any homework, did not come to school prepared today, slept through class, and is in danger of failing.
It's 1:00PM. You receive a call from the principal. Your child has been removed from class for the remainder of the day due to disruptive behavior. The school would like you to come pick your child up and take them home for the day. You reluctantly comply, knowing that you will be penalized for leaving work early. This is a regular occurrence.
It's 3:00PM. You are now home with your child, who you had to pick up early. You ask them what homework they need to work on. Your child replies with "I don't have any," even though you know they're weeks behind. Maybe it's because they're "lazy," maybe it's because they don't know what the assignments are, maybe they don't have the skills they need to do it and are embarrassed about it.
It's 5:00PM. You again ask your child about their homework. They shut down; refusing to complete any homework or talk about anything involving school. This leads to a fight between you and your child, leaving both of you upset.
It's 7:00PM. You are exhausted. Even though your child is not allowed to use their phone or play video games if their homework isn't done, you give in because you need some brief semblance of peace to wind down from your own stressful day. You both need a break from each other, so it's mutually reinforcing to let them do what they want to do.
It's 9:00PM. You have passed out on the couch watching TV.
It's midnight. You wake up, realizing you fell asleep on the couch. Your child is in the next room, still playing their video game. It is far past the time they should have been in bed to get a full night's rest. You yell at them to turn off the game and go to bed. They fight you on it, but ultimately agree.
It's 6:00AM, and the cycle repeats.
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