Reflections

Today we went to our son's preschool teacher conferences. We adore his teacher and pretty much had a good idea what to expect. She has really connected with our son and continues to be a very positive influence in his life. She is not the type of teacher who just sugar coats everything. She makes skilled observations and genuinely loves our son. What more can you ask for?

We talked about our son's positivity and his social energy. She said that he is a very well balanced little boy. I was worried about his noise level as it tends to accelerate when he gets excited, but she wasn't too concerned about that. She said that in her opinion, it is more important to utilize that creative and expressive energy rather than suppress it. And we feel the same way as long as he continues to know his boundaries at school and at home. She complimented him on the fact that he always walks into class with a smile and walks out of class at the end of the morning with a smile. She really seems to know our little boy and that really means a lot to us.

At the end of our conference, she shared a couple of stories about our son. She told us that for such a little boy, he has a tremendous amount of empathy for others. She gave two examples. One being the little boy who cried throughout the first week of school. She told us that our son would approach him every single morning and ask if he would like to play. She said that this small gesture has really made a difference in this little boy. It was talked about by his parents at his conference. The little boy began to feel comfortable about his Mom and Dad leaving because he could count on the fact that our son would approach him each and every day to ask if he wanted to play. And then she shared a second story. A boy in the class has a severe speech delay. She said that this little boy tries very hard to keep up with the group but that it is hard because the kids can't understand him. The teacher said that our son in particular tries very hard to communicate with him. He says things like, "can you say it in a different way?", "say it again so I can understand better", and by the end of the conversation, the boy has happily found a way to play with the kids because our son figured out how to understand him.

Well at this point I seriously thought that I was going to start to cry. I don't know if I have ever felt so proud before in my entire life. I had to apologize for starting to get emotional but I explained to his teacher that empathy towards other people has always been the single most important character trait that has always meant the most to my husband and I. To have thoughtful, caring, and compassionate children is something that just can't occur out of the blue. It has to be taught. She thanked us for teaching him. Our little boy, already making such a big difference in the world, outside of our own home. Making a difference within his peer group. Something that is always going to be a strength of his.

Because this is my journal, I can gush on and on about him. This is a journal entry that I want him to read when he graduates high school, college. I want him to see the kind of difference that he was making in the world, even at four years old. My husband and I always agree that there is something so completely special about our children. We have always seen it and when others take the time to see it too, it just brings tears to my eyes. We love our kids more than anything. A love more powerful than we have ever known. They are making their place in this world and they will always know how loved and admired they are. We love you honey bunnies!

I call this blip, "reflections", because our children have a lot of us in their little personalities. A lot of my husband and a lot of me. A mix that is so completely endearing. Like I said, it's my journal so I can say that........ :)