ROY G. What?

Most early grades have some system of tracking the children's behavior. When the girls were young if they misbehaved they had to "pull a bear." I think they were probably different colors or had some sort of progressive order. I wouldn't know though b/c it wasn't until Tali was in third grade when they had moved to some other system that she actually had to lose a star, or pull a bear, or whatever the heck they called it then.

She was reprimanded for talking I think. I don't remember but I'm surprised I don't because that one incident in the third grade was the ONLY time Tali was ever told to touch her pocket w/ the sticks or the bears or the stars in it. Never again. AND Josie and Lyra have never had any interaction w/ the charts. Tali and Josie have moved beyond it now, but Lyra is determined she will get nothing but green until teachers stop tracking her. Sadly, it's turning into a stressor. More than once this year, she has been petrified to go to school b/c she's worried she'll have to turn her card. I almost wish she would have to, just to get that first time over with, but she'd be devastated.

Perfectionism? In my kids? Nah....where'd they get that up from?!?

Anyway, along comes Brother. I say all the time if I'd had the boys first, there would be no girls. I'm not kidding!

In Kindergarten, the kids gained or lost "stars." Once they had 5 tongue depressors covered w/ stars in the pocket w/ their name on it, they got to get a prize from the treasure box. Then their pocket was emptied and they started collecting again. Lucky for Brother, you couldn't go "in the hole" or have a negative number of stars.

Lucky for me, Brother never realized that many of the "treasures" were amazingly similar to all the stuff that my kids brought home in birthday party gift bags or the toys we recently got at McDonald's. (Hey, it's a great way to get rid of that junk for those of us who have trouble just throwing it away).

Now that he's in first grade, they "turn their card." Each child has a pocket made from part of a manila folder. In it are 3 index cards. The first card has green die-cut stars on one side and yellow stars on the other. The next has red on one side and blue on the other. The final card is black with silver stars on it.

Everyone starts the day on green. Staying on green means you had a good day. If you do something exceptional you get to put the card w/ the silver stars in the front. Whoo, hoo!

The progression continues to yellow (getting a warning), red (you've had a warning and will now lose 5 minutes of recess), and finally blue (a phone call or email to home).

I have to admit, I was surprised that blue was the worst. Isn't blue the most liked of all the colors? Seriously, do a quick poll of the next 10 people you talk to. I'm willing to bet that as long as they aren't all 6 year old girlie girls which would result in a pink landslide, blue would be the winner.

Now, I understand the green, yellow, red order. I've listened to enough Barney to know that "Green means go, Yellow means slow, and Red means Stop, Stop, Stop" or something to that effect. But throwing blue into the mix discombobulates me. It then becomes more than 1/2 the colors of the rainbow. So the ROY G. BIV acronym should be utilized.

When you look at it that way, putting blue after red just makes no sense. Blue should be the best. Then green, yellow and red could follow and not get overly neurotic people like me stressed out.

Regardless, no one asked me what I thought. So I guess it doesn't much matter now does it?

So the standard question at our house after "How was your day?" is "What color did you end up on?"

Answers have included:

"I got on Gree-een, I got on Gree-een!"

"Green. Can you believe it? Cuz I can't!"

"Yellow. Isn't that great?"

"Yellow. Aren't you proud of me?"

"Yellow but it's really like Green b/c I was on Red and then did something good to move it back to Yellow."

"Um, did Mrs. B email you?" "No? Well, it was red, but I really have to go to the bathroom." Upon coming out of the bathroom, he said "J/K mom. Did you know that j/k means just kidding? I actually got on green today." Needless to say, the email from Mrs. Brown came about 1/2 hour later - it was a blue day!

"Red b/c of the same old story; my brain can't stop my hands from touching people."

"Red. People always talk to me, I have to talk back."

"Red." When I asked "What did you do?" He said "Nothing new, just talked and talked and talked."

"Red." I ask why. He opens his mouth and points into it saying "Blah, blah, blah."

"Red." When I ask "What did you do?" He rolls his eyes "I can't remember, there were so many things that happened today."

The answer most often used is:
"Red, on accident." (Of course! It was an accident that you got caught!!!)

I am usually happy w/ yellow, but Dad is not quite the pushover that I am. When dealing w/ Brother, any day w/o a call from the principal is a green day as far as I'm concerned.

So, today was yellow and I was fine with it. Charlie doesn't always remember to ask about the color so I was thrilled that he hadn't asked on any of last weeks red days.

When Brother says "yellow" tonight. Charlie says "That's not acceptable. I want you to work really hard and stay on Green. All day, every day." Brothers eye get even wider than usual and he says "Okay Dad, I'll do it. I'm really gonna try." And I'm sure he thinks he will try.

Sadly, as his mother I'm willing to bet five bucks he's on red before lunch tomorrow. Who's in?