Oh, Katie...

Today, for the third time, I was called into Katie's classroom for a discipline issue. She is still going through stages where she absolutely does not want to go to school and spends most of the day crying and whining with the only explanation being that she wants to be with me. For more days than not, though, for the last two weeks she has been proud to be a "big girl," and hasn't cried or even stalled too bad at drop-off. There have been incidents, though, that have confounded the teachers so much that they do more than just ask "if everything is OK at home" or if she "is going through big changes" and call in reinforcements (me)! Each time I have come in the room Katie has been completely naked with her clothes, shoes and socks strewn all around in opposite directions (she apparently throws them violently as far as she can while undressing). I have been privy to the outbursts when I bring her to my office to try and talk some sense into her and it is both hilarious and disturbing. She is so intent on expressing her anger by disrobing that it really is kind of funny, but then she is naked in the middle of her classroom having a complete meltdown with everyone watching and you just have to wonder what she is thinking. My boss came into my office today while I was giving Katie a time-out (while her friends were on the playground so it actually worked as punishment) and saw what was going on and left. When I went in shortly after to see what she needed, I told her what was going on. She talked to the Program Director and another person that I work with to try to give the teachers some strategies (so they don't have to come get me) and to give me some explanations. Now that I look at it from their perspective it makes complete sense - Katie is a control freak just like me and her dad! She has control over what she is or isn't wearing and we can't really stop her from undressing, so it has become sort of a power play for her and in her mind it is kind of like her saying well, I don't like that and I am going to undress in protest and there is nothing you can do about it. She has also learned that it gets attention and that it gets her out of doing whatever it is that she doesn't want to do. The funny thing about today's episode is that she was mad that she didn't have a jacket like all of the other kids (it was 75 freaking degrees!) - so she literally undressed because she couldn't dress exactly as she wanted! Tyler is oblivious to all of her shenanigans since they are thankfully only really happening at school, and he seems to be really happy in his class right now, probably because the awesome weather has meant lots of outdoor play time. One of his teachers left and I was worried that he would be upset because he really liked her, but he just tells me that Miss Kimberley isn't in his class anymore but now he gets to see Ms. Tawana, so all is good!