As I was tucking my son in for bed after his third day of school, he looked up at me and said, "Mama, I hate my school."
**My heart breaks**
Those were not the words I wanted to hear out of my son after his third day of kindergarten. "Buddy. I'm sorry to hear that. What don't you like about school?"
He stares me down with his sad eyes and says, "I was crying today and I really wanted you, but they wouldn't get you for me."
**My broken heart shatters to pieces.**
He stares me down with his sad eyes and says, "I was crying today and I really wanted you, but they wouldn't get you for me."
**My broken heart shatters to pieces.**
"Honey... What happened? Why were you crying?"
"We had to go down to the music teachers room in the basement and I thought she was a scary old witch and it was a trap."
I honestly had to hold back my laughter. A, Trap?!?! A friggin trap? WTF???
"Dude. Why in the world would you think the music teacher was a witch and you were being lured into a trap?"
I swear... My husband and the video games and shit they watch is to blame for this.
The poor guy was so serious when he said, "Mommy, she had funny color gray hair piled on top of her head. It looked like a wig. And her face was really old. Her room was at the very end of a long hall in the basement and I thought it was a trap, so I started crying and asking for you."
Her classroom really is in the basement at the end of the hall. I felt terrible for him. "Oh, Honey! I'm sorry you were so scared. What happened next?"
"The music teacher made me go in her room and sit on the floor with other children."
"The music teacher made me go in her room and sit on the floor with other children."
He goes on to tell me that she wanted him to do the hokey pokey and he told her no, because it made him dizzy. And she must've said something about him not getting a sticker because he told me that he told her he didn't care because he didn't like stickers anyway.
My heart broke. The poor guy. All this scary shit and I'm not there to make him feel safe. Of course the music teacher is not a scary witch luring him into a trap. But I get it, how is he supposed to know that?
I held him tight and promised him that the music teacher was a very, very nice lady and that only nice teachers are allowed in his school and that's why I picked it.
I also promised him that if he ever really needed me, like if he was hurt or sick, the school would call me straight away to get him.
I called one of my girlfriends who has been at the elementary school with her kids two daughters for the last five years and told her the story. When she was finished laughing hysterically, she told me the music teacher was one of the nicest ladies and that she was retiring in October.
I was honestly relieved when I heard she was retiring. Not because my son won't have to be subjected to the scary lady with the fake hair, but because this poor nice woman won't have to be subjected to an asshole kid telling her she is scary with fake hair!
I was honestly relieved when I heard she was retiring. Not because my son won't have to be subjected to the scary lady with the fake hair, but because this poor nice woman won't have to be subjected to an asshole kid telling her she is scary with fake hair!
That night I let him sleep in my bed and held him close all night. I barely slept. My helicopter mom instincts were telling me to homeschool him. Thankfully, I fell asleep before that nonsense went too far.
Before sending the little guy off to school the next morning, I reminded him that all the teachers were super awesome and that if he truly needed me I would be there.
Even though it is so hard for me to stand back and let my child have these experiences without me, I'm glad he's doing it one way or another. Not to mention, it's nice to not be there when he says crazy stuff because I've been dealing with his filterless mouth for the past five years, and it totally sucks.
UPDATE: Two days later, the little man jumps off the bus, beaming with excitement and a small sticker on the back of his right hand.
"Mommy! The music teacher gave me a hug and a sticker. She is nice."