A tough day

May 2019

It was bound to happen, inevitable actually, but made all that bit trickier because of our unique little situation. Today, our big boy, our sweet, well-behaved, conscientious little kindergartener got in trouble at school. Our school.

It’s the school we share, I teach his mates, my friends teach him. Teachers’ kids really can go either way, pretentious shitheads or industrious nerds. I’d like to think mine are the latter. But, they’re not perfect, they’re kids and today was a tough day for Eman.

After school this arvo, he was hanging in my classroom and lingering around like he had something to tell me. Then, through his quivering bottom lip, teary eyes and devastated heart he finally worked up the guts to tell me about it ‘Mum, I’m sorry, but I got in trouble today’

As a mum alone, knowing the courage it took him to be upfront and honest was enough to make me proud. But, as a teacher mum, him being very aware that getting in trouble at school impacts both of us, having him make sure it was him who told me and not the teacher made me even more proud. Kid, you’re made of the good stuff.

We fleshed out what went down together, he’d done the wrong thing and he knew it. So, after a few tears of embarrassment and a definite sense of disappointment in himself, he admitted he’d made some silly choices and decided on an apology letter for the teacher and changing his actions for next time. Lesson learnt, little guy. Getting in trouble is far from ok, but admitting you’re wrong and changing to be better is more than even some adults can manage.

Proud of my boy today,

J x