Today was my son’s last day of 1st grade !!! …. well, if you don’t count six weeks of summer school he has to do. But we made it! His teacher had a family breakfast in the classroom this morning to which we all actually managed to physically make it there! Shocking.
After getting situated, the teacher comes up to me and tells me how proud she is of my son. How well he’s done. I thanked her and told her I totally agreed. He’s worked really hard. …. then she said it again while deliberately making eye contact, “No really, he’s done a fantastic job. He is a great kid.”
Okay. Is there a bruise somewhere i need to explain? Has he said we’ve begun locking him in the closet under the stairs?
This is the second time this has happened. The first time was with a reading teacher he had for a short time. A man. At another family function, this guy comes up to me to deliberately explain to me how awesome my kid is.
Is there a note on his backpack asking for hugs because his mommy neglects him? I’m so confused. I realize these people might make it a habit to do this with the more challenging kids that require more support, but my mind immediately goes into defense mode.
I never said i disliked my kid or that he’s anything but improved and I’m constantly telling him I love him… peppered with exasperated sighs of “how many times do i have to tell you ….” and “I KNOW i said that in ENGLISH, what’s the problem?!”
Am i missing something? Maybe because i didn’t pack his lunch every day and i got lazy and let him buy lunch most of the time that’s considered lackluster parenting on my part. He’s fed, isn’t he?!
I don’t get it.
Maybe he’s working some angle i don’t know about to get some sympathy … or maybe it’s just that i look so haggard all the time, they want to encourage me to see the bright side. Maybe if i BELIEVE even more than i already do that he’s a stellar kid, i’ll drop him off wearing something other than my PJs and bedhead. Maybe they are coaching me into some eyeliner and a hairbrush ?
sometimes i want to wear a shirt that says, “My husband travels to a different country for weeks at a time. F- off.”
But on the bright side, I have an amazing child that i apparently never appreciated enough … out loud… to total strangers.
Sarcasmica 