Unsustainable momentum

If I was feeling sharper I would elaborate on some physics metaphor for the motion, or lack of, that I see in Lily each day.

She started this week of Easter holidays well and was happy with the 3 hours of work at 'revision school'. I'm not hanging around trying to get her out of the door in the mornings so I know she is late but nevertheless, she makes it. She did the same yesterday and then, you see, she was invited to the cinema with a friend. It was a long film (Dune2). She had the forethought to ask to go to an early evening showing and she was home by 9pm - all good. Sadly, though, that meant the time to adjust to being home before she hands her phone in was too short. Tears, accusations and I just knew she wouldn't make it out this morning. It's like the primary school disco, buzzed up on flashing lights, sweets and unable to self-regulate.

She focuses on the phone and the fact we don't 'trust' her ( she also likes to remind us how she's nearly 16 - er yes ) but if it wasn't the phone it would be something else. She chose to sob while sitting on the landing, as husband and I went to bed. In these moments she also likes to threaten not going to school or doing any of her exams. I struggle to come to terms with this logic, it's exactly like her brother, and I guess it's the younger child speaking again. I know now that she will leap on her verbal high horse if I engage with her and canter away for hours, flinging out jibes and barbs designed to make me feel guilty and hurt. We left her to it and I think she was quiet by 11pm.

So will she fail to go to revision school three days in a row because

a) she went to the cinema on the evening of Day2?

b) she had to hand her phone in at 10pm that same night and was so distraught/dysregulated by this she was not able to compose herself by the morning?

c)she cannot manage 3 days of commitment in a row?

What do I think? All of the above.

Photo by Pixabay: https://www.pexels.com/photo/gray-newton-s-cradle-in-close-up-photogaphy-60582/

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