Twas a week before Kinder
This is my baby boy. This boy is the walking embodiment of my heart. I have a special relationship with this boy. Unique to me and him. He has big feelings. Big emotions. He is also my quiet one. He is easy going. He will do whatever his favorite person in the whole wide world wants to do ... he would follow his brother into traffic.
I enjoy having him home; him and his brother. Because they are best friends and rarely, rarely fight. They have a close bond, and love all of the same things. Right now they are both all in on Star Wars; they stay up later then they are supposed to looking at their star wars books, talking about who is the best warrior.
They are fiercely competitive.
His older brother is in third grade, and I'm sure you know that. I am sure you know he is a model student. This boy here knows that too. He also knows that he is different, and has different strengths. He is eager to prove himself as smart as (if not smarter) than his brother, who is always saying things like "you'll learn that at school."
As I type this I got your note, telling me you will be his teacher. And now things are getting all the more real.
I got an "extra" year with this boy, because his birthday falls just three days after the cut off. He will be one of the oldest in your class. Hopefully this is an asset to him, and to you.
I am so grateful for this "extra" time. He and his sister bonded (and fought). He and I were able to do things, sometimes. Though there was probably too much television, not enough activity. I look back and think ... what did we do with that time? I don't know. We went to the Perot sometimes. I had him with me.
He is all boy. 1000% all boy who deals with feelings by tactile touching and pushing. We work on controlling our emotions, so they don't control us. His father told him ... Star Wars is all about controlling your emotions, so they don't lead you to the dark side. Sometimes his father is a straight genius.
I worry about him in a way that is completely different than my other children. G is always competent because he will always listen and do as he's told. My middle child ... he explores his boundaries more. Which means listening isn't always done. Following directions isn't always done. Concern for consequences? Not all the time.
He's fairly confident if he smiles at me, he'll get out of it.
Mostly, he is very good. I have only ever received one negative report from a teacher regarding him (and it was hardly a big deal at all and I really don't consider it that negative). I have always been told he is very good, and maybe a little shy sometimes.
His teachers were always amazed when he had an outburst.
To that end ... he will withdraw from you. Especially if he thinks you do not care about him. Last year his teacher loved him, and he loved her. And he thrived. The teacher before that did not care about him, and he knew it, so he didn't even bother remembering her name (true story).
He is older now though, and these things all change with maturity.
I am hoping that our impact at home is enough to combat some of this. I hope that my earnest interest in his learning helps him focus and complete tasks at school. He wants me to be proud of him. He wants to be as smart as his older brother.
He is so smart. He is reading and writing and doing his math better than his brother was when he entered Kinder. But he is six months older. His brain is ready. He has a great aptitude for concepts, and sometimes looks at things differently than his piers.
He can be very literal, but then sometimes he is so imaginative you cock your head and wonder ... where did that come from?
He has a hard time ending tasks when told. He wants to complete the task and then move on. Same with his thoughts. He has to get the thought spit out before he can listen or answer your question. He has gotten better about this but it still happens. He repeats words over and over as he looks for the right ones in his brain. This has also gotten better.
I just ... I know we all love our children. I know we do.
But I really do. And he is really special. And I need you to take care of him as the special child that he is, not as you wish him to be, but as he is. I promise that if he acts up I will back you up, and I will use every bit of my influence with him to impress upon him the importance of learning, of doing the right thing, of being kind, of working hard, of being kind ... of being kind ... being kind.
My prayer for him is to find a friend. Someone that makes his day bright; more fun, worth going every day. Learning is better when you have friends. My prayer is that you will nurture him, hug him when he gets hurt, and understand him. I pray he has a fantastic year. A fantastic start to his educational journey.
He wants to be a Rocket Scientist. He wants to study Mars.
His mama loves him all the way to Mars and back. Because the moon is just too close. I love him so much more than to the moon. In all the cosmos there is only one David. And he has a mighty bright future and a purpose and I'm so glad he is mine.
Please, please, please, please, please be gentle and kind and nurturing and patient with this piece of my heart. His heart is so big. And he will do anything for you if he thinks you care about him, truly.
Sincerely,
A mama, sending her second heart and a piece of her soul out into the world. AGAIN
Comments