The tension in the room was palpable, as everyone knew Kara was not happy. The Baldwin family had just gotten home from a teacher-parent conference, and the Baldwin parents were not delighted with their lone child Zachary's performance.
His teacher Ms. Adams this was the 5th grade, and as much as Zachary had problems in the previous grades, they had never faced anything like this relayed it to them. Ms. Abrams told the Baldwin parents Jesse and Kara, that Zachary was disruptive in class, not paying attention, and falling behind them.
They talked at the front of the classroom. Ms. Adams then discussed Zachary's most disruptive behavior was his lack of respect for those in authority. Kara was burning up under her collar as she heard these accusations. She had always pressured Jesse to take a more disciplinary role as a father, but his reply was nearly always that he didn't want to become his father, as his father was an abusive one. Kara would then bring up the fact that discipline for your child didn't mean you had to beat them. You needed to showed them the path to what was right and what was wrong, along with behavior that would build one into a competent adult.
Kara rushed through dinner as her frantic movements and haste showed she was still hot about the report on Zachary. Within minutes dinner was ready, and Kara called her family to the table, determined that by the end of the meal, she'd right the Baldwin family ship and take a better route in raising her son.
Plates served before anyone spoke. The clashing of utensils hitting the tableware was the only thing heard in the silence. Looking to Jesse to take the lead, Kara spoke up, but when Jesse didn't focused on his plate of food, keeping his corn from touching his mash potatoes or meatloaf, she leaped.
Kara asked her son Zachary what he had to say about what Ms. Adams told them about his behavior. Zach scooped a large bite of corn and mashed potatoes into his mouth, chewing down sloppily food flying from his mouth. Kara asked again, to which Zach, still chewing, exclaimed, "She's a Bitch, you can't trust what she says!" Kara and now Jesse wide-eyed, shocked at their son's answer, looked at him with disdain. Kara rebuked him, saying, "You watch your language, mister, you know we don't talk like that about our elders or anybody, especially your teacher!"
Kara looked at Jesse as she had risen from her seat, and Jesse barely moved, holding an intense glare at Zachary. She expected more of a reaction from him at that point, hoping he'd back her up in some fashion. Then with his gaze turned back in his plate, dividing his food up, he says, "I think we should ground him until we see some major improvement in his grades and behavior." Now both Kara and Zach looked surprised at Jesse's response.
Of course, Zach didn't see it as fair. Still, in Kara's eyes, the cool, calm, and collected response seemed to be just what was needed, and Kara showed her support with further clarification by saying, "Starting tonight, I agree you are grounded till we see improvement." Kara then looked to her husband, feeling they had just worked as a team in parenting.
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