They’re the words you don’t want to hear as a parent. Ever. “I had to go to the principal’s office today.”
Your heart skips a beat in your chest as all of your experience in parenting has led you to this moment in time and then somehow ABANDONED you. You look over at your child… this miniature version of yourself and slowly force out the words, “Why?”
She stares at her feet. Mumbles something. This child whose mouth is usually overflowing with words and nonsense beats to songs she doesn’t know and screaming some plethora of nothingness is now speaking so softly that you can’t make out a thing.
“WHAT? I CANNOT HEAR YOU…. WHAT ON EARTH DID YOU DO???” You know… you ask again trying to keep the panic from edging completely into your voice and smacking them in the head.
“I wrote my name in Sharpie on the new slide on the playground.” Still staring at feet.
Now I am staring at her. Am I a bad mother that my first thought was…. YOU WROTE YOUR NAME ON THE SLIDE? Well that was stupid! Why your name? DUH!!! But I fight that argument back and let it sink in that she wrote her name which is nearly worse because she obviously doesn’t give a shit. At 10 years old you know the rules. You know what you’re allowed to do, and what you’re not allowed to do. I can only guide at this point.
Today the principal threatens her with pressing charges, lets her know that she will be doing the clean up, and is no longer allowed to play out there for several weeks… now it is my turn to hand out some punishment. Wish me luck.
