Not An Angel

I'm looking at Kayla's Weekly Behavior Report from school and wonder where my 'angel' of a child is ... you know ... because kids with Down syndrome are such angels, right? Riiiight.

She only had 4 days of school this week and couldn't even get one green face. At least there were no reds, but she very easily could've been marked red on any of the days.

This is my 'angel's week at school:

Hit another student
Not paying attention in class
Ran into woods at recess
Sticking tongue out at other students; not listening

The first thing she tells me when she gets off the bus is that she 'been bad' or had 'a bad day' or 'got a red face' (although this week it was all yellow faces). Most of the time she can tell me exactly what she did, the reason she didn't get a happy face. But when I ask her the 'why' of it ... why did you hit someone else? Did they get in your face? Take something from you? What provoked it? She usually can't tell me, or doesn't have the words to tell me.

It's frustrating not knowing why she does some of the things she does.

See? It's not all sunshine and tulips in Holland.

It's yellow and red faces.
It's being 'bad.'
It's not making the right choices.
It's not keeping hands to yourself.
It's running away to places you're not supposed to go.
It's sitting in time-out every day after school.

Imagine that. She sounds more like any number of typical kids getting in trouble at school.

Welcome to Holland indeed.