Or so it seems. This despite the fact that my son run’s to me every evening, smiling his cheeky smile, shouting “Daaaaaaaaaaaddy!” in a way that melts my work-weary heart. After we’ve greeted with a big hug, I’ll ask him if he was a good boy and he’ll say “yes” with a nod. However, there are the times he’ll say yes, but with his eyes diverted while trying to change the subject. It’s those days that I dread. He hasn’t developed his poker face yet and in an instant he has shown all his cards. I go to the teacher to inquire about my boy. “He had such a bad day today,” The teacher may say. “I’ve never seen him like that.” I nod and look somber even though I’m not in the mood.
Following our brief conversation I plan a way to address the situation. If he was already disciplined in school I try not to pile on a new punishment and we talk about it. It’s not really fair to be punshed twice for the same crime. (Of course this will not be an issue as he gets older, but with a three-year-old you have to be reasonable.) If he was not, I remind him of what he did and I punish him for it. If it was a particularly egregious act I don’t care what was already done. I devise a punishment that fits the crime.
How I discipline isn’t what this post is about. My point is, why is it that no matter what the other kids did that day, your (my) kid was the worst of them all? He’s in school with a mean bunch of evildoers and I would hate to believe he’s the worst. Once as I was walking into the classroom I watched my son get busted upside the head with a toy. Not a single teacher witnessed the incident, which is fine because they were busy managing the other kids – doing their difficult jobs. Honestly I don’t expect the teachers to see everything, kids are fast and smart, plus it was kind of funny him getting a plastic meat patty upside the noggin.
That said, is it that my boy is sloppy in his actions and he needs to learn how to be more covert when doing dirt? Or is it that all parents have to have conversations about poor behavior every so often?   The reality is that my boy isn’t exactly crafting shanks out of paint brushes and glue sticks, so he can’t be but so bad. Right? Am I in denial? After all I don’t call him Devil for nothing!
Wow….I thought I had the baddest kid! I think teachers give all parents the business about how bad their kid is. From my other parent-friends I’m finding out that it’s just part of the nature of kids and school.
teachers play favorites too. we have a situation where the kindergarten teacher wants one kid to repeat the grade, but not another kid who seems to be at the same skills level, but doesn’t give her as much trouble.
I think it depends on the teacher. When Eboy was 3 and in his first preschool every single day his teacher told me what he did wrong. It really really starts to bruise one’s parenting ego, constantly wondering what I’m doing wrong for him to go to school and act so wildly. But one day I noticed she told every parent what their child was doing wrong! I guess she just had that sort of negative energy about herself (EBoy never did care much for her either).
MY KID IS BADDER THAN YOURS…
Or so it seems. This despite the fact that my son run’s to me every evening, smiling his cheeky smile, shouting “Daaaaaaaaaaaddy!†in a way that melts my work-weary heart. After we’ve greeted with a big hug, I’ll ask him if he was a good bo…
I like your theory. I think they tell all the parents their kid is the worst. Shame is an effective tool.
Kiddo just need to be more sly. It’s always the second guy in that gets busted.
LOL – funny. I think all kids are the most evil people in the world at one moment and the next, they’re the most angelic hosts!
That all depends, some teachers just have their prejudices, your kid is too dark, light, black, white, tall, short, etc. etc. for their liking.
Some just need to retire, every kid is their worst kid.
Or your son is on track to be the next evil dictator to take over a small African or Latin American Country, right behind MY 3 year old lol
Next thread: “My kid is more of a Megalomaniac than your kid!
Great blog. Just letting you know you have a new reader.
Many parents have this conversation with teachers at some point in their child’s life.
This entry has me more nervous than ever to put my 16 month old in daycare. I can’t imagine another child physically doing something to my baby and NO teacher witnessing it. That’s a lil scary. He can be a bit mean sometimes, so maybe I should be more afraid for the other kids. LOL