This week I was visiting on the phone with my youngest brother. My poor nephew, Sammy, had just come home from the hospital with four stitches on his elbow. There had been a very tough game of kickball on the playground! I asked how he was otherwise, how the school year was going. My brother, Scott, told me that it had been a rough start to first grade but things were going well now.
After we said our goodbyes, I began thinking about my trip out to see the family a couple of years ago. I had been surprised that many interactions with Sammy had caused flashbacks to when Scott was little. I'm thirteen years older that my youngest brother and I was very active his upbringing. As a little guy, my brother often had temper tantrum when things didn't go his way and during my visit, I saw this happening with our little Sammy. At one point I said, "Sammy, you just need to tell us what you want, we will do anything to make you happy." It was like a kick in the seat of the pants - that is exactly what Mom and I would say to Scott everytime things began to fall apart for him!
One evening we were all sitting in the living room visiting, when I glanced over to see our Sammy sitting on his momma's lap with his arm around her neck and his little fingers tugging on her earlobe! This had been one of my brother's favorite things to do for comfort - to the point that I remember my mother saying once that she was afraid her earlobe would be down to her navel by the time my brother was raised!
I hadn't asked my brother to go into details about Sammy's start in first grade, but I can't help think that Sammy's "rough start" to first grade went something like this...
When my brother started first grade I was beginning my second year of college. My mother had been battling Scott about going to school for several weeks. We lived a block and a half from school and so he walked to school each morning and also came home for lunch. This particular day I was home at lunchtime and the three of us had a very nice lunch. However, Mom couldn't face trying to get my brother back to school and so he asked if I'd mind attempting the task. No problem!
The two of us walked to school, I stopped at the edge of the playground, asked him if he could get to class okay and then left him and walked back to the house alone.
Mom was pleasantly surprised! She quizzed me on what had happened, what I had said to him, what he'd said, how I had bribed him. "I didn't do anything. We walked to the edge of the playground, I said goodbye and left. No problem!" I was quite pleased with myself, I'd accomplished in one go what my mother had been attempting to do twice a day for two weeks!
We had about five minutes of quiet before the front stormdoor slammed and my brother stood there with his hands on his hips shouting, "I'M NOT GOING BACK AND YOU CAN'T MAKE ME!!"
I can still envision the two of them marching down the middle of the street, Scott about two feet in front of Mom with the wooden spoon in her hand!
Just like Sammy, things are now going well for Scott. He goes to school every day under his own steam. He's the principal of a middle school!
After we said our goodbyes, I began thinking about my trip out to see the family a couple of years ago. I had been surprised that many interactions with Sammy had caused flashbacks to when Scott was little. I'm thirteen years older that my youngest brother and I was very active his upbringing. As a little guy, my brother often had temper tantrum when things didn't go his way and during my visit, I saw this happening with our little Sammy. At one point I said, "Sammy, you just need to tell us what you want, we will do anything to make you happy." It was like a kick in the seat of the pants - that is exactly what Mom and I would say to Scott everytime things began to fall apart for him!
One evening we were all sitting in the living room visiting, when I glanced over to see our Sammy sitting on his momma's lap with his arm around her neck and his little fingers tugging on her earlobe! This had been one of my brother's favorite things to do for comfort - to the point that I remember my mother saying once that she was afraid her earlobe would be down to her navel by the time my brother was raised!
I hadn't asked my brother to go into details about Sammy's start in first grade, but I can't help think that Sammy's "rough start" to first grade went something like this...
The two of us walked to school, I stopped at the edge of the playground, asked him if he could get to class okay and then left him and walked back to the house alone.
Mom was pleasantly surprised! She quizzed me on what had happened, what I had said to him, what he'd said, how I had bribed him. "I didn't do anything. We walked to the edge of the playground, I said goodbye and left. No problem!" I was quite pleased with myself, I'd accomplished in one go what my mother had been attempting to do twice a day for two weeks!
We had about five minutes of quiet before the front stormdoor slammed and my brother stood there with his hands on his hips shouting, "I'M NOT GOING BACK AND YOU CAN'T MAKE ME!!"
I can still envision the two of them marching down the middle of the street, Scott about two feet in front of Mom with the wooden spoon in her hand!
Just like Sammy, things are now going well for Scott. He goes to school every day under his own steam. He's the principal of a middle school!
I distinctly remember being dropped off by Mom at the front of the school, getting line to go in and then hightailing it home. I beat Mom there and she was driving! I think this must be when I began thinking school should really start at 10:00am - 8:00 is just too early.
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