Helen

This week started off as a nightmare, it actually started on Friday of last week and carried over into this week. Helen is being mean to her friends at school by playing rough with them. She bent the fingers back on one little girl and made her cry. On Monday she grabbed the hood of another little girl's coat and pulled. The girl is in kindergarten and I'm told, can blow over if a big wind blew by. This little girl started to cry, when the teachers went to see what was going on, she became very upset. I was told her neck was all red. Helen didn't listen to the teachers when they told her to apologize to the little girl, she said, "No" and walked away. I should say "tried" to walk away, the teacher took Helen inside and found her teacher. I was informed that usually a student displaying that type of behavior would have been blue slipped(written up), and suspended, even special education. She did loose her recess privileges this week. I'm not clear as to why she wasn't suspended, maybe because they know she doesn't do it with the intention of hurting anybody. My kids play rough at times, as do most siblings. I don't think Helen understands the difference in playing that way with your siblings and playing that way at school. We have a new rule in this house, no playing rough. If Helen starts to play rough with any of them, they are to say, "Helen, that hurts me, I am no longer going to play with you!" and walk away from her. I spoke with her teacher and she suggested they say that to her. I have also been talking to her about not touching the kids at school. I hope it all works, it's upsetting to receive notes about this, I felt like I had done something wrong.

The next few days are going to be busy for us. Katie has a Daisy meeting today after school, the boys have a Cub Scout meeting tonight, the theme is the Olympics. Saturday is Robbie's first basketball game, he is so excited. He started practice two weeks ago, until that time he had never played outside of gym class. He told me after his first practice, "If practice lasted 7 hours, that still wouldn't be enough time, I really had fun!" I can't wait to see how they play together as a team. Most of the boys on his team are from his class at school, they are starting now so when they reach 5th grade they would have been playing together for a few years. At their school, they don't play sports until that time. It makes me happy to see them take on traits of Peter. Ted was so into the election, he was perched on my bed glued to the TV on election day. Robbie loves sports, not just one in particular, but all of them. Those are the same things Peter enjoyed, especially politics. I am anxious to see what traits the other kids take on as they grow.

Until next time-
Take Care,
Sue