September 7th — Last week I took a friend’s suggestion and asked my six-year-old who had gotten in trouble at school that day to begin conversation.
Daniel immediately said, “Ted, he gets in trouble every day, in fact he even got sent to the principal’s office one day!”
I said, “really? Why did he get sent to the principal?”
Daniel answered, “he hit someone.”
“He hit someone! Who did he hit?”
“Me.”
“Daniel! Ted hit you? Where?”
“In the classroom.”
“I meant, where on your body?”
“Oh, on my face,” pointing to his left cheek.
“When did this happen?”
“Not the first day of school, not the second day of school, not the third day of school, the fourth day of school.”
“Were you hurt? I didn’t know you had gotten hit. Why did he hit you?”
“No, I wasn’t hurt. Ted wanted something at one of the centers that I had.”
“Oh. Well I’m glad Mrs. Huang sent him to the principal if he hits kids in class.”
“Mommy, I don’t think I like Ted.”
Everything I needed to know about life I learned in Kindergarten.