At the end of last school year, I taught a bunch. I told you about that when it was happening, it seems to me. So one day, this thing happened, and I have been thinking about it over and over and over for MONTHS now. Let’s discuss, shall we?
All right.
So I was in a classroom full of Kid 1′s peers. One of them, in a casual moment of small-group discussion, asked me something about her. I may (possibly) have praised her. A lot. I am sure the words, “she’s amazing” and “I like her a whole lot” came out of my mouth. A different kid in the room, a few feet farther away from me, said to the kid beside him, “My mom would NEVER say something like that about me.”
I immediately felt horrible. Not that I had praised my Kid, but that the boy who overheard me would respond that way. And I hope he was wrong. I really do. But if he’s wrong, what’s up with his mom never saying things like that (or other nice things) about him in his hearing? And if he’s right? Isn’t that even more sad?
So here’s what I think. One of my goals for this school year (which, despite my best efforts, is right there beginning on THIS week’s calendar lineup) is to not only say nice things about my kids, but to let them overhear those nice things now and then. And to speak to and about my kids so that they will never doubt, never wonder, never question what kinds of things I might say about them when they’re not in the room.
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