Incog -- You guys are south, right? We're looking more north (dh works in Deerfield) ... hmm. And I'm not feeling guilty about taking away his World of Warcraft; *he's* just missing it a little. It wasn't a direct punishment; more of a "We've decided it may not be age-appropriate for you right now." But I think he knows it was in response to the fighting incident, because he just kind of took that at face value -- when usually he would push the issue.
Lori -- WOW does take a lot of reading, and a lot of attention and handwork, which is why we were ok with him playing. Again, for those who haven't seen it, there really isn't any gratuitous violence; the name makes it sound worse than it is. The only thing he can't do well is chat because he doesn't type fast, but he was getting there; someone was asking if anyone knew where a character was, and B typed, "iknow"! Then I had to jump in and help him, because the other player thought he was talking to an adult!
Grin -- I know, right? Asynchronous indeed! I do still plan on pursuing the skip, because it's clear that first grade is not what he needs. His handwriting will eventually improve ... but if nothing else changes, his attitude is just going to go down the pipes.
Again, thanks all for weighing in. The handwriting is actually the least of my concerns; it's the fighting and the attitude about school that is the worst. And the fact that he's so busy talking in class that he doesn't finish the work (which is counting and cutting, so pointless for him), which is going to make people think he *can't* do the work.
