Missing the bus on purpose

[rebecuna]

Refused to eat the cereal bc I took some out of his bowl (he had poured too much and there wasn't enough left for his brother), so it got soggy and wasted. I cooked him eggs (mistake?) just to get something in his body bc I can't imagine sending him to school without breakfast (and he would have just gone to the school crap breakfast, which they are not allowed to deny him even if we have no money in our account). Dragged his feet eating the eggs as slowly as possible. The bus went by a minute before he was ready. Is there an appropriate consequence for this or do I need to rethink the whole situation? Obviously we were cutting the timing too close, and I can get him started earlier. But when his attitude is bad from the moment he wakes up, I'm not sure how to get us back on track so the morning is not totally derailed. And rushing is always a trigger, for him and for me. But there are actual time restraints sometimes, and I don't know how to leave enough time to account for all his possible delay tactics or freak outs.

When I drove him to school (which made me late for my first day of class), I wouldn't let him listen to his audio book, which sent him into another tailspin. I felt like that was a reasonable consequence, since I didn't want to reward his missing the bus... but that might be thinking punitively?

I was totally at a loss this morning, and so, SO angry. I know I didn't handle it great, but I did walk away and give myself some time to cool down, so I'm trying to appreciate even the small victories (at least I didn't clobber him like I wanted to, right? )