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| School? Again? |
I knew it could happen. I just didn't expect it after 7 months of Eliot entering the classroom every morning and yelling back happily: "Goodbye Mommy, I love you, have a great day."
Eliot, suddenly holding onto me at the door, not wanting to let me go.
"I want you to stay here with me."
But Mommies can't stay inside the classroom, they're not allowed. Only children. I wish I could stay here. It looks so fun and you're going to read stories..."
"I don't even know how to read. And look, there's an ant and I don't like ants."
Look at that table full of exciting projects which you'll be doing today.
"That's not my table. I'm at the red table."
Oh? Well, I'm sure you'll have an amazing day. Eliot's friend comes over and wonders: "Is she going to cry because she misses you?" Eliot nods vigorously. Oh no...
Brings back memories of what my Mom used to tell my little brother every morning after she dressed him up for kindergarten: "How cute you look. You'll see everybody is going to say how gorgeous you look." Inevitably, at the end of the day, he would inform her in a deep voice: "Nobody said I was gorgeous."
Are Moms, albeit lovingly, the first to set you up for a fall?
Poor Eliot, she can't stay home forever!
ReplyDeleteBetter to boost them up I think than always prepare them to be let down. It's hard to succeed when your parents say things like, "Don't be too upset if you don't do well," etc...
ReplyDeleteYou're probably right, Lindsay, but my Mom was truly the queen of boosting! I was pretty fearless as a little kid but she was 'overly confident' we would be fine...now it seems funny.
ReplyDelete....ah, the emotional scares...what memories!
ReplyDeleteStudies show that if we "wire" our kids neurologically to think they're gorgeous (by repeating it, meaning it, following up with loving support and caresses, etc...), they will be able to build themselves up, even when no one else does.
ReplyDeleteSo I say: boost away!
Eliot will get through the tough times because you've equipped her to do so.
-Lisa
(a friend of Julian's in Italy - I happened onto your blog through his facebook post)
Better to be overly confident than to have no confidence at all, as a child and consequently as an adult.
ReplyDeleteJudith
@Lisa and Judith: Good to hear your insight.
ReplyDelete