I don't want to talk to anyone about my day!

So, A is now in 1st grade and for those of you that are unaware, the leap from K to 1st I think is really hard.  First, there are more academics and expectations put on the kid and I think that teachers don't prepare the kids as much (sorry kindergarten teachers) and there is a longer gap between whatever preparation happened and school happening.  In other words, in pre-k, kids get prepared to leave and then leave and big school starts pretty quickly whereas if the K teachers prepare kids for 1st, there is 10-12 weeks before they start in 1st grade.  This makes it hard on kids and parents alike.

So, A's 1st week, which is only 3 days was hard for him, but he did ok.  His 2nd week was very, very hard.  He had a hard day of keeping his feet to himself and his teacher made him come tell me at pickup.  He was devastated and crying so hard he couldn't even tell me anything.  His face was red and blotchy from crying.  It was so bad, I had to carry him to the car!  As we are walking and he is crying, he says, "I don't want to talk to anyone about my day.  I want people to stop telling me about my day!"  and "Get me outta here!  I never want to come to school again!"  When we finally got to the car and got in, he said "I wanna go back to Jowonio because they are nicer and friendlier to me."  OUCH, talk about a knife in the heart.  I hated to hear that he was so upset. 

The next morning, I got to school to talk to his teacher and she asks, with obvious concern on her face if A always gets this upset if he has to tell me about his behavior.  She probably thought I beat him (which couldn't be farther from the truth!).  I explained to her that he is very sensitive and emotional and that he doesn't like to disappoint me.  I tried to give her strategies and offered to meet with her and the team to come up with a plan to help him behaviorally.

That afternoon at pickup, there was another parent waiting with his kid so he could "see these bullies."  He wanted to see what the bullies looked like in his son's class.  Now, if you have a kid who struggles behaviorally, this is something you dread to hear, especially when you know that kid is in the class with your son.  Sure, enough, it is my son that the kid is talking about.  I tried to explain to the father that we are working on solutions but I really wanted to scream at him for being such an insensitive ass!  If one of my kids came home saying someone is a bully (which C does say), I talk about what could be going on and how C can respond.  I don't wait outside the school to take a look at the kid.  I hope that this father felt badly and will rethink his actions, but I won't hold my breath. 

Here's hoping that next week is a better week!

~G