Not Smarter Than An Seventh Grader

Today I went to one of my city's local OneStop offices to take a practice test of applied mathematics and guess what I failed the practice test with a score of 60. But this was not my first time taking this practice. I took this test over a week ago and failed it then also with a score of 40. Can you image how bad I felt, because this test is telling me that I have no more than a seventh grade or eighth grade level of math skills, but that is impossible. I graduated from high school and no I was not push through, and I even went on to college to study English and Sociology. I mean I even passed my high school exit exam the first time around, so can my math skills be at such a low level. To be honest I never liked math in school and I did struggle just a little in tenth grade, but I passed that class and all my other math classes to meet the requirements I needed to graduate from high school. And yes I know I have been out of high school for fourteen years, but my math skills should not be that rusty. I just feel so bad about not passing this test, but I will be taking it again next week and hopefully this time I will pass it. See this is just 1/3 of a bigger test I have to take which is the WorkKeys test, that all clients of OneStop must take to show future employers and our caseworker our abilities and basic knowledge. Math is the only part of the practice test I keep failing, the other parts of the test, such as reading for information and locating information, I passed with excellent scores. In these two areas I was above average. So you can see how frustrated I am about this test. I just hope that next week I can pass this part of the practice test, so I can move on and take the real one.

Too Scared To Fail !!!!

Today my son brought home all his schoolwork from last week, which he does every Tuesday. In this pile of schoolwork he all the test he had took last week and his homework, all the grades were good except one. The grade that was not so well was a Social Studies test that he took and got a 45/F on it. I was disappointed and mad at him, because we had went over the material three times before he took the test and thought I he had, but I guess he didn't. So that means we have to study a little harder and that's cool. But I am not writing about that, what I am writing about is what he did before I even looked at the test. He told me to hold on and he ran to his room to get his belt, so he could give it to me inorder for me to whip him for making a bad grade. I just looked at him and took the belt and put it away. I told him that I was not Joe Jackson and that I would never beat or whip him for making a bad grade. And do you what he told me, he said that other parents whip their kids for making bad grades in school. I had to tell him that I was not other parents and that I would never do that to him. I was just wondering if other parents out there whip or beat their child for not making good grades in school. And if they understand the damage that they are causing their kids. I don't believe in whipping my child and especially for not passing a test. I don't ever what him to think that he has to do well in school for me to love him and that if he doesn't then I want care for him and that he makes me so mad that I have to whip him. I tell him to try his best on every test he takes and that if he fail, then that means we have to study harder to remember the material so that he will get right on the test. I hope parents understand that school is hard enough without dealing with the fear of getting whipped or beaten because of making bad grades on a test or a report card.

Doing Right By My Son !!!!!

Yes, it's been almost a month since, I last blogged but alot has been happening in my life that I had to think about and get right with before I started blogging again. The first real major concern, that I had was if I was going to take my son's father for child support. I had to consider all my options, before beginning this process, because I didn't want to begin it and then change my mind about the situation. See this is how the story goes, my son's father has not been a part of  his life for the last six years and has not been supporting him for the last seven months.  Just a few months ago I learned  that my son's father has two other children by two other women, which makes my son a big brother. This threw me through a loop, because for the longest time I thought my son was a only child for his father. I will be honest with you and say hell yeah I was mad as F*ck when I found this out, because his other children are just eight and seven years old, and my son is only nine years old ( birthday 11/14), So you can see why I was mad and yes, even hurt, because I was mad a fool by my son's father. But then my anger and hurt intensified, because I thought about the  hurt my son has been going through these last six years not seeing his father and the lies I told my son about hs father to keep him looking like a good daddy in his son's eyes and heart. My anger and hurt turned into a strong determination to fight for  what is owed to my son by his father, and to make  his father take responsibility for his child. So yesterday, I started the process for taking my son' s father for child support. I filled out the application with all the information I had on him and now I all I can do is just wait for my lawyer to call and tell me what's next for me to do. I know this is the right thing to do for my my son, but I have a strange feeling this case might get ugly, because neither one of us has custody of our son, but he lives with me and always have. I don't know what to expect when this goes to court, but I will be ready for anything.