Liar-Liar Pants on Fire…

My son has been at his new school for four days. On the first day he was on red (naughty). Monday he was on yellow (warning). Tuesday he was on red again. I’ve just received the call that he is yes, once more on red! I’m very upset with him. I expect more from him. He is bright and knows how to behave when he wishes to. Each day we talk to him about his behavior. Monday I took him for an ice cream cone for his improved behavior. Yesterday he knew he had a new toy waiting on him if he was on green. He told me right away that he had gotten into trouble and was on red. He didn’t receive his new toy, lost his cartoon time, and wasn’t allowed to play with any of his toys until just before bedtime. Dad and I both talked to him long and hard about what we expect from him and how we know he can be well behaved. Per our conversation yesterday, he will now have all of his toys taken away until he can come home two days in a row on green. He will also do without his cartoon time. I’m sure a lot of crying and such will occur when he realizes how real it is. I just don’t get it. We follow through with our threats; meaning we do what we say we will do. We give him lots of positive reinforcement. Our expectations remain the same. Why doesn’t he respond to the normal tools? I’m beginning to wonder if he has impulse control issues. His teachers say/have said that it is just normal little boy (especially only child) behavior. I don’t want my child to be one of those little darlings that I always wanted to hang by their toenails in my classroom. When I moved him to this new school the principal asked me if he had any behavior issues. I told her no just the normal little boy attention seeking behaviors. I now feel like such a big liar. Here I have gone and had this nice principal and sweet teacher infected by my little annoyance maker. So what does he do that’s so bad? Nothing serious but the collection of little things is what gets on people’s nerve and they aren’t appropriate for a classroom. Today it was sticking his tongue out and pinching a little boy. Yesterday it was spinning like a top in the floor and making rude noises. Some other things would include: stepping on someone’s foot in line, being too loud in the lunch room, acting like he is going to put a bugger on someone, farting on someone, throwing a rock when playing outside, and running in the hallway. They are all little things and none of them mean that he will turn into a murderer or bank robber. We don’t play like that at home and we don’t find humor in farts or buggers. Why in the world is it being such a big deal to correct these behaviors? Come on Sane, you are the one with the most experience with EBD’s. I’m I dealing with that here? Is there something Dad and I aren’t doing right? Sadly, I must now go and pick up all the toys and lock them away…