"My Teacher Said....."

If you have been around a child just starting school, chances are you have heard the phrase.... "My teacher said...." followed by whatever they heard that day.  Never try to tell them that their teacher is wrong, because the teacher is never wrong.  I've been through kindergarten with all four of my kids....I've heard those words said I can't tell you how many times....by my first three kids. My youngest who is now almost 8...who I didn't put into kindergarten until he was 6, has never said this phrase....until today.

This may not seem like a big deal to anyone but me.  But hearing "My teacher said not to keep the water running," when he was getting ready to brush his teeth this morning made me stop what I was doing for a second.  I realized in that moment I had never really heard him say that before.  My little guy is in his own little world.  He has a huge imagination and even though I send him to school everyday I never really know how much he is taking in....how much he understands. There is a definite gap between him and the kids in his class who are a year younger than him. I have his IEP meeting coming up....I have no clue what they will suggest for him next year.  They have been testing him all year.  I used to talk to his teacher daily and ask her how he was doing in class. Lately I've found myself kind of avoiding her. I'll talk to her maybe once a week or once every other week.  She's stuck on him having ADD....and the last time I saw her she said something about not babying him.  And it started to really irritate me.  I don't think I do baby him....ok maybe I might a little...but not in the sense that I do everything for him.  When it comes to safety issues...absolutely, because that's where his comprehension level is lower than his age.  Me dropping him off at school and letting him walk to his classroom by himself was a huge step for both of us.  I still wait until I know he's inside and even for a minute or so after.  After school is a different story...he still gets picked up at his classroom.  So safety wise you better believe we are taking baby steps. But today that one little sentence.....made me smile and want to cry at the same time.  I know he can spell and read (he writes words anywhere he can....everywhere).  But the verbal comprehension...people talking to him, and asking him questions, giving him instructions, that's where we kind of lose him. So hearing him tell me something that his teacher said was....awesome...and I hope I hear it more.