A Little Boy’s Destiny?

It is your first Kindergarten conference.  Most parents are chomping at the bit to hear how their child is the smartest, most popular, and obviously will be in the Talented and Gifted program.  My husband and I have a different concern. The teacher goes through the usual.  Academically he is doing well. Socially fine. Your teacher asks if you have any questions or concerns.  We then reply, “Do you think our child will get bullied on the playground?” 

Remember those bumper stickers that were on every car years ago that said, “My Child is an Honor Student at XYZ School?”  Some parent with an under-achieving child then came up with one that said, “My Child Could Kick your Honor Student’s Butt.”  That may have started my thought process about this simple question.

Think of adult males and the hang ups that they have in life.  If you really want to get deep with a man, ask him how it was playing on the playground when he was little.  If he got his butt kicked, it probably defined how he lived the rest of his life.  You hear of the computer geeks who make millions, and you know they got a thrashing at least one time at school.  You can also tell the insecure former “bullies” – the one doing the kicking.  They still have this problem at age 40 when it comes to any potential “situations” out at bars or any other crowded place.  If you had a choice of the two of which kind of kid you would want, it would be a difficult choice to make.  You just pray that your kid is Switzerland, and plays nicely in the background when trouble gets started.

My hang up is most valid with my first born, now a second grader. The fact that he is short does not help. In Kindergarten it was a tall girl who called it to his attention.  His awesome Kindergarten teacher told him to respond to kids by saying, “I may be short, but I am fast.” Luckily his story looks like it will have a happy ending. He can now honestly state that he is fast.  You see, our little guy has become obsessed with sports, and has gotten quite fast when playing.  I am sure my husband is dreaming of a great athlete, but I am his just glad that he could run from any big kid who may harm him. 

Look for an article in two year’s about our third born son’s Kindergarten conference.  At his three year old class conference last October our question was, “Has our son kicked or harmed any one yet on the playground?”  My husband and I are just glad he will be at Elementary school at the same time as our first and second born sons.  They will have someone to protect them when they need it.