Kindergarten Drama

Oh, my. There was drama in the house this morning.

It all started when I told Reed he was going to buy his lunch today as we had discussed several times before. He said no, he wanted me to pack it. I said no, and he cried. I asked him if he was scared to buy his lunch and he said yes. I asked him why and he said he didn't know. I talked to him about how I knew it was scary the first time you did something but it would be okay. I told him other kids bought their lunch. He said no, they didn't and that he wanted me to pack his lunch.

Lane came downstairs and I asked him to talk to Reed. He told Reed that buying your lunch wasn't scary and told him what to do and then he said, "Okay?" Reed said no. I asked him if he was scared to talk to the lunch ladies and he said yes.

Then we did role play. They stood in line on one side of the bar and I was the "lunch lady" on the other side. We pretended -- Lane got pizza and Reed got spaghetti. He was cracking up the whole time and thought it was really funny. I said okay, you can buy your lunch today. He said no, I want you to pack my lunch.

I wavered a few times, but decided he had to face his fear. Told him I wasn't going to do it and he said he wasn't going to go to school. (He's quite stubborn.) I was afraid he just wouldn't eat, so I told him I'd walk him into school and talk to Ms. Flowers.

Even so, in the car on the way to school, he cried all the way and said he wanted me to pack his lunch. In so many words, I told him that boat had sailed.

I walked him into school and laid it all out for Ms. Flowers. She said LOTS of kids buy their lunch and that she would walk through the line with Reed and show him what to do. She told Reed that and they high-fived each other. And then...

he told me he wanted me to pack his lunch.

And was crying as I left.

Just call me Mother of the Year.