Testing

B happily jumped onto the school bus yesterday morning ready to start his first day of Kindergarten. Luckily he had attended ½ day Pre-K at the public school last year and knew what to expect. For the record, he is a very well-behaved kid, loves school, follows directions, respects his teachers, bus drivers and follow students. So yesterday, when he ran off the bus at our home, I was expecting him to be a bit tired and hungry. I am not exactly sure who abducted my sweet student, but he was clearly not the same child that I put on the bus that morning.

When I asked him if he wanted a snack (popcorn and a glass of milk) he responded with “Duh, Mom”….HOLD ON ONE MINUTE YOU LITTLE SNOT….since when does this kid say “DUH?” After I resisted the urge to boot him across the room, I realized that he was looking up at me with a frightened expression. I actually think that after the words came out of his mouth he realized that “Duh” was not a very nice way to talk. Which is exactly how I responded, explaining that that is not how we talk and that if he was going to come home and talk like that he would be spending some quality time in his bedroom talking that way to his stuffed animals until he got it out of his system….”sorry mom…” he said afterward.

Then, after a series of screaming battles with his brother over completely random yard toys, they came in for dinner. B took one look at the Chicken Cacciatore and rice that I had prepared and said, “Ewww, that looks GROSSSS. I am not eating.” B has NEVER uttered the word gross at my dinner table before. Again, he gives me that frightened sideways glance. And I launch into, “Uhhhn-uhhnn, I spent a long time preparing you a delicious meal, you do not tell ME that YOU are not eating without even trying it.” And again, “Sorry Mom” and after he tried it, a begrudging “It’s pretty good…”

So, I guess B is going to be learning a lot more than sight words, phonics and the numbers 1-100 this year at Kindergarten….we’ll have to encourage a daily dose of attitude adjustment!