Tears Fall Like Rain

Yesterday was another rough day in the life of a high schooler. Poor #1 is having trouble with Algebra, though his problems are not limited to that alone. Mostly, I believe, he is having problems with discipline and self-control. I told him Friday that he would need to do work over the weekend. He had a field trip on Friday, and his grandparents were coming to visit for a few days on Monday. If he wanted time to visit with them, then it would mean doing some work on Saturday and Sunday. He did part of an Algebra lesson and took his Composition test. Not enough. So yesterday as the rain fell, so did his spirits. He needed to complete a presentation for Geography, do a bunch of schoolwork, and do it all well. Tears flowed, especially after he realized I couldn't allow him to go to the SGA meeting. We talked through why he couldn't go- Algebra is more important- and then I told him that if he couldn't keep up with his part in the play and school, it would be the play that would have to go. I didn't realize how much that had been a punch in the gut until an hour later when he asked if I would be taking him out of 4H after he was taken out of the play. And yet I am having the same problem. I don't like this tough parent discipline stuff. I want to let him do all of the fun things, because it is more fun for me to have him happy. But I know that his happiness in the future is dependent on getting through these classes. So for now I make a harder decision to have easier decisions in the future. I just hope it isn't too far in the future.