*That* Kid

In the first few weeks of school, I have quickly come to realize that my youngest is going to be that kid in his Junior Kindergarten class. His over-the-top exuberance and in-your-face zest for life, when combined with his explosive hair trigger temper and headstrong stubbornness, is a recipe for disaster when the right (or wrong) mood strikes him. I arrived at school today to hear he'd been running out of the classroom and down the hallways multiple times, had eaten a classmate's snack again, and then deliberately wet himself when the teacher disciplined him. As I was in the middle of a struggle to get him ready to leave the playground--involving a bite on my shoulder, some screeching, and a kick in the shins--there was little I could say except "thank you for telling me" and look embarrassed and overwhelmed when adding "I will discuss it with him at home."

Oy.

Despite the reallyterriblenogoodbad days like this, he really loves school. He makes up funny little songs with the french phrases he is learning, tells me stories about his friends, and can't wait to get to the playground in the morning. A few of the other kids are really attached to him and seek him out as soon as he gets to school, and he loves to hold my hand and chatter like a little magpie about his morning on the walk home.

I'm not really sure what I should be doing about this--I have talked to him about his behaviour many times, but I'm unsure how much he really understands. He is one of the youngest (if not *the* youngest) in his class, as he turns 4 at the end of November. He is ready to be there--I honestly believe this--but is too easily caught up in the behaviour of other rambunctious children and lacks the ability to know when to stop.

This parenting stuff is hard.