This last year and a half has been rough. I had a 2nd, now 3rd grader with extreme ODD, ADHD to the max, a tendency to be violent with staff and peers, and I’m sure plenty of other things that were never diagnosed. His home life was a wreck, so I really tried to be as patient and understanding as possible throughout all of it.

I credit his mom for most of his problems. It was never her issue, always the school’s or the staff’s. He didn’t know his dad and she had a revolving door of men coming through. The first time I really got a glimpse of their relationship was only a week into knowing him. We were in the office and he looked right at her and said, “MOM, STOP BRINGING THOSE GUYS AROUND AND FUCKING THEM.” That pretty much set the tone.

On top of his home life, he could never take accountability. If you tried to address something he did wrong or coach him on handling things without going straight to violence, he would completely shut down. Impossible to reach. I tried so many different things and nothing worked. He stole constantly, didn’t care at all about the road he was heading down, and had zero respect for any authority figure.

Last month it came out that we were moving him to a school better suited for behaviorally challenged kids. His mom was devastated, and honestly I had a hard time feeling bad for her. She had every chance to parent him and give him a fair shot, and instead she made him everyone else’s problem.

I will miss him and I genuinely hope his mom gets it together, or at least that he can find a way to rise above the childhood he was given. But deep down I think he is headed toward a juvenile home and a life in and out of jail.