Most days Kole is so happy when he comes home.
Mom! We sang about Scat the Cat! She's blue!
Mom! We had GRAHAM CRACKERS! (He was so happy about this. I was like, "What?! CHILD! I be giving you graham crackers every day!)
Mom! I can button my shirt! Look! Peek-a-boooo, Pull It Through!
Mom! They have a new turntable for the trains!
Mom! I like Rockwell. He's my friend now!
But a couple times Kole comes home all weighed down by the Preschool World.
His shoulders are drooped and he says he is "just very tired."
(But he can't say "j" so it's "I'm woost very tired.")
One day he was especially low. When I asked what was wrong he just sighed and looked away.
What is it little cub?
Today, I really wanted to sit by Bridger. But somebody else sat in the seat by him and the teacher told me to pick a different chair.
And then Kole sobbed. He sobbed until his face was blotchy and his body was limp.
The most practical part inside of me said: This kid. Poor guy thinks he's got it rough because he couldn't sit by Bridger. PREschool problems. Itty bitty preschool problems. Life is so easy for him if all that's wrong is he can't sit by Bridger. He has no idea.
And then I realized...
Preschool problems happen our whole life.
There will be more times he won't get to sit by the person he wants to sit by.
And more than once it'll probably be someone telling him that he can't sit by them instead of him just not getting there fast enough. There will be friends that aren't really his friends. There will be people to call him names and call him out and not call when they say they will. He won't make every team he tries out for. There will be times he'll only get 2nd place. And times he won't place at all. He'll have break-ups. And college rejection letters. There will be jobs he won't get. There will be unfair consequences to unfair rules. He will fail even when he works hard. He will be hurt. A lot. And there will be many days when he'll want to sob until he is limp.
He will have preschool problems for the rest of his life.
Because Preschool Problems are real-life problems that start too young.
And when I realized that...
I put his head up on my shoulder and told him,
"Today was just a bad day, Cub. But, don't worry. Its probably your last one."
And I broke out the Double Stuffed Oreos* and we went out to watch the tractors.
*Gotta start eating through emotions at an early age.
4 comments:
I sat on the basement stairs and cried last night. I was so tired I had no idea what else to do (and going to bed right then and there at 4pm wasn't an option).
REALLY wish I had had oreos. But Tony did bring home chocolate ice cream, which had to count for something. :)
That poor sweet little man. Sometimes I say, in jest, to Gage, "Oh, your little three-year-old life is so haaaaard." But you know, to him, it is. And I need to rekkinize. (Just adding to your Ebonics there, with the "I be giving you graham crackers every DAY" thing that you wrote and that made me chuckle out loud.)
Awwww....sniff sniff. This is so true. Their little problems are their world. I never looked at it like that. :( My poor babes...I just want to give hugs now!
This was so touching Patty, you're starting to sound like a life coach if u ask me.
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