Could Use Some Advice Regarding Claudia

Not sure how to handle things with Claudia. She has been acting out a lot lately, talking back to us and hitting/poking her brother to the point where they have to be separated in the car.

Claudia has also been wetting her pants, not a lot, I know she is embarrassed by it and doesn't always tell us and then we find her wet clothes in the laundry. We are also having some other hygiene problems with Claudia as well. Wiping after she uses the bathroom, washing her hands and she smells like urine. I'm thinking she has a bladder infection and have mentioned this to Mark. I think maybe we need to take her to one of the walk-in clinics.

I have been staying at the house with the kids since Thursday evening. Claudia has told me a few things and I'm not sure how to handle them. There is a little girl that that lives across the street from us, Saturday night I was getting Claudia ready for bed and she was using the bathroom. She told me not to look at her, which caught me off guard because I really don't. I respect their privacy. Anyway she told me that her friend, sometimes looks at her. I told her friend shouldn't be in the bathroom with her. Claudia is a "big" girl, we have had her thyroid tested, but I honestly think it's because she is just not active enough. When I put pony tails in Claudia's hair and was apologizing to her because they were crocked. She told me not to tease her and that's when I found out that she lost a hat on purpose last winter because a boy was teasing her about it, calling her "lemon head".

Today Claudia missed her bus after school and Mark had to go up to the school to get her. I'm still trying to figure out why the bus didn't wait for her. Claudia said it was because someone took her backpack and she had to look for it. Thursday at school, Claudia wrote on her chair with a crayon. The teacher made her write a letter of apology and then her parent had to sign it. I signed the letter and asked the teacher to call me (which she didn't) to clarify what had actually happened and to discuss other things about Claudia. Mark has called the school a few times to talk to Claudia's teacher, but she has never called back.

Claudia is in a special program at school for her reading and printing. Her teacher in this program tells us she is doing really well. But she still has trouble in her regular class and I worry that she is being teased at school because of this.

I feel like Claudia is falling through the cracks at home and at school. I feel that maybe we don't spend enough time with her, helping her with her printing, spelling dictation etc. and I honestly don't know what to do.

I realize that Mark is very busy taking care of 3 children and managing a household on your own is very difficult. I spend as much time with the Mark and the kids that I can. I just feel really lost right now and I honestly don't know how to handle things. I also wonder if I'm overreacting. I just don't know!

Do Canadian schools have a counselor on staff? I think I'd bypass the teacher and try to talk to the counselor.

Unfortunately the elementary schools don't have counselors. We would need to speak to Claudia's teacher or the Vice Principal or Principal.

I just spoke with Claudia's teacher and found out that once again she has moved Claudia to the front of the class by herself. She said that it was because Claudia was become distracting, not paying attention and not really doing her work. I think I may have found out what is going on. These behaviors started the last time the teacher did this. Claudia is a very sensitive child, going to have to talk to my DH about all of this.