Yep. That's my girl. I've resisted writing this post because it so hurts my pride. I really do not want to be THAT mom. And I really do not want to have THAT child. But I am. I do. And here we are.
On Monday, I was called to pick up Hailey from school because she was running a low-grade fever. It was gone by the time I picked her up, and she had no other symptoms. I had a doctor's appointment already scheduled for her that afternoon for something unrelated, but while we were there he checked her out and said she was absolutely fine. Tuesday morning, Daniel took her with him on a few errands before she could go back to school after the 24 hours had passed.
Earlier that morning she had told me she didn't want to go to school, she wanted to stay with me. I explained that now we're in "big kids" school and we can't just have days off with Mommy anymore. School is now for real. She then said she didn't feel good, so we had another conversation about the importance of telling the truth. I thought we were both clear after our conversation. Then came the errands with Daddy before she could go back to school.
When Daniel dropped her off at school, the meltdown happened before he could even pass her off to her teacher, and continued long after he made his exit. It's always so awkward leaving your child screaming for you as you walk away. You just know the ones you're leaving your child with are just not liking you at that moment, and you feel bad for walking away from your child when they're that upset, even though you know that's what you have to do to calm them down. At least it usually calms them down. Not this time. As she was sobbing and crying for her Daddy, her teacher, Mrs. Ray, tried to console her. When that didn't work, she put her in a chair at the back of the classroom until she could compose herself. She managed to do this for a brief time, and then digressed back into meltdown mode. Mrs. Ray then told her if she couldn't make good choices and pull herself together, she was going to have to drop her clip.
This should have placed fear in her heart. Anything but dropping the clip! The clip is a series of colors, based on behavior. When your behavior is good, and the clip doesn't move, you earn a sticker. The stickers then accumulate into prizes. No sweet kindergartener wants to have their clip dropped. Oh, except mine. When threatened with dropping her clip, Hailey looks up at Mrs. Ray through teary eyes and says "Would you please drop it for me?"
The next threat came with being sent to the principal's office if she couldn't get it together. What child have you ever met that has the smallest desire to visit the principal's office?? Again, that would be mine. When Mrs. Ray told Hailey that she would have to go to the principal's office if she couldn't start making good choices, Hailey stood up from her chair, reached up to take Mrs. Ray's hand, and started walking. No fear, she's ready to go.
As the assistant principal is talking to Hailey, she tells her that if she cannot stop crying and start making good choices, she's going to have to call her Mommy. Again, this should strike fear in the heart of a child. Again, not mine. She tells the assistant principal "Oh yes, that's a good idea. Would you please call her?" This wise woman then explains to my not-so-wise-child that calling Mommy does not mean that she will come get her, it just means that Mommy has all day to think about the poor choices that Hailey is making, and will be very sad when it's time to pick her up.
And this finally does the trick. Hailey turns her attitude around, kicks out the alien that has apparently invaded her body, and is back to her normal happy self.
When I picked her up, she readily told me that she "threw a monster fit and had her clip dropped and had to go talk to another lady in another room." Oh, is that all?! She then told me, "But I did tell Mrs. Ray that I do really like Kindergarten, just so she knows." Thanks for clarifying, because we were all starting to wonder!! And it's only week three. How many weeks until summer vacation?!?!?!
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