Love sets boundaries.

Bee, Bee, Bee, Bee, Bee. What am I going to do with my dear, sweet Bee?

 

No, really – I’m asking. Because do you know what happened? Twice during the past week, my dear sweet hoodlum was written up and sent to the office. My Bee-baby is two and already she’s looking at time in juvey.

 

I’m poking a little fun at the situation (could ya tell?) because I’m having a hard time getting too worked up about it. She’s TWO, for crying out loud! Two is all about learning new tricks, testing limits, and seeing how crazy they can make you before they’re all huggy and “I-love-you” and reeling you back from the brink of madness. Two is very good at that. So when I arrived at daycare and saw the “accident report” was really a delinquency report, I wondered what in the world Bee could have done beyond the Terrible Two-ness to warrant such a reaction.

 

Unfortunately, the way their daycare is run, the girls’ regular teachers are usually relieved by late afternoon. The teacher who was presiding over Bee’s class wasn’t filled in on exactly what had happened. So I collected my child and wandered down the hall to talk to the new director. Ms. Director was nice enough to explain that Bee hadn’t done anything above-and-beyond; the teachers were having a rough day, the kids were particularly unruly, and everyone lost their patience. I assured her that I was all for improved communications between the teachers and the parents via the reports. How else can I consistently send Bee a message that behaviors that are Not-Okay are the same at school as they are at home? How else can we help her navigate through her growing pains? However, I was also very clear that I did not think sending TWO-YEAR-OLDS to the office was (1) a very good habit to fall into, (2) age-appropriate, or (3) effective punishment! Hey, two-year-old – want to get yourself out of this situation you don’t like? Do something really bad and you get to go to the office! Learn it now so you can use this tool all throughout your school career! Nope. Doesn’t work for me.

 

I’m not too terribly sure it worked for them, either. I sat Bee down and let her know that I knew she had been in trouble and talked to her about what she can’t do (and what she should do). And I was the pushy parent with Ms. Director and let her know I didn’t agree with their practices – something that always goes over well, I hear. I’m pretty sure I smoothed it over with each of them. (Bee, at least, has been as giving with her hugs and kisses as always.) But sometimes that’s what love means. Being unpopular with the masses, all in the name of doing what’s right for the kidlets. Bee will thank me for it later…probably around the time she has a toddler of her own.

 

Happy Love Thursday, everyone. May your love give you strength to speak up and be the big meanie when you have to, and may your reward be just as sweet as toddler kisses and hugs.

Advertisement

Tags: children, daycare, terrible twos, toddler