Yesterday was Justine's first teacher conference for real school. She seems to be doing so well. She is so dang smart. She is so funny! Her teacher thinks she is such a wonderful girl. She always helps the teacher. She listens. She does whatever she asks of her. I'm smiling. This is what I always hear. But...?
What do you mean ... but? My kids conferences aren't supposed to have a but...
It turns out that Justine often goes off by herself. She plays by herself at recess. She sits by herself at lunch. Her teacher asked if we had heard of any problems with her making friends. Well, we really hadn't. Or so we thought. Other than the usual, "so and so said they're not my friend today" and "so and so wouldn't play with me today." You usually hear that a million times from girls especially in kindergarten. Right? Maybe I should have been listening to that these last few weeks.
Initially I just thought well she's the last of 6 kids. She has always played by herself ... really well... like to the point that sometimes I forget she's here because she is so busy playing.
Her teacher voiced concerns that she wasn't fitting in.
It gnawed on me the rest of the night. I asked Jack about who Justine sits by at lunch because they are in the cafeteria at the same time. He said, "Well, she usually just sits with the boys." The boys are in a different class. I told Jeff and Jordan about it and had to hold back the tears... seriously I am crying about kindergarten?
Jeff came to bed last night, sighed deeply and said, "Why wouldn't she be fitting in?" "She is the funniest kid I know." "Those stupid kindergarteners... they don't know what they are missing."
She has been much more clingy and needy these last few weeks. Thank God I at least noticed that and have been giving her 110% of what she needs. I cannot imagine how bad I would feel if I had not really made a conscious effort to give her a little extra. She didn't have any problems making friends in preschool last year, therefore I don't know what the problem is. It may be nothing. I think it may be just that her imagination is so enhanced that they may just not understand her. Please keep praying for her to have peace and comfort and to work out whatever may or may not be wrong for her. And pray for peace for her mama that she doesn't feel the need to dress in disguise and hide behind the plants at school to watch first hand what's going on with her baby... or you could send me ideas about how to make a nanny cam I could attach to her somehow... whatever you feel led to do.
No comments:
Post a Comment