Thursday, November 19, 2009

It begins in Kindergarten.

Sadly, a few of K-'s friends have been making fun of her for her speech. These are kids that she went to preschool with.

The one friend has seemed a little bossy. She's the one that we were invited to the roller skating party for. She gives instruction to K- all the time that K- has chosen to ignore. (We talked about it.) Z- told K- that she wasn't to write her last name on her paper, even though I told her that she was to write it on there. She's given her wrong instruction on other things too, but K- has chosen to be her own person and to do her own thing as her teacher has instructed. Thank goodness!

This is Kindergarten, though.

I was talking to Hubs about it this morning and he decided that we had to sit her down and have the talk. We're not talking the bir*ds and be*es, but the one of worth. We talked to her about how kids made fun of us. We talked to her about how everyone gets made fun of from time to time. We talked about how it isn't fun to be made fun of, but it isn't up to us to make fun of anyone.

Hubs told her as I've said before. She can talk to us about anything.

It breaks our hearts, though. She is in speech. She is really trying and her speech is getting much better. When the kids make fun of her and ask her if she's speaking Polish, it makes her sad. She knows that she has some speech difficulty, but I've told her that if the children ask her if she speaks Polish, to tell them what you were trying to say in a little bit different way. I've told her to use different words. This was how we worked it with us prior to speech therapy.

K- is a very likeable kid. I don't say that because she is my kid, but because of the interaction I see with her and the other children. She sees classmates getting out of their car, and they walk to class together. She prays for the kids that are absent. When they return, like D- did the other day, she is so relieved.

She has such a caring heart. I just don't want the other kids to break it. I know it breaks mine just to hear it.

Smiles in my day:
- K- talking to us about what bothers her.
- I slept better last night.
- Going to bed early tonight.

5 comments:

Rach said...

Oh no. This breaks my heart. :o( Poor K. :o( Hannah too had such a big heart and I was always afraid it was going to be broken. Kids can be so very cruel--even unintentionally. I'm going to ponder this a bit and see what I can come up with. It's been a while since I've been in primary, but I know we used to do things to help our speech delayed children. For one thing, we wouldn't let the other kids tease. We modeled and modeled and modeled.

I'll be saying some prayers for sweet K and her friends. And, HUGS for you. This parenting thing is SO hard.

ChupieandJ'smama (Janeen) said...

It does begin in Kindergarten, sadly. I've been through it with both boys but so far M or than J. It's heartbreaking to watch your child be picked on or singled out.
I'm sorry that she is going through this. Give her a great big hug from us.

GERBEN said...

Poor baby. =( I'm sorry that the other kids can be so mean. It really hurts my heart when children are hurt by the words their peers use. I think that you and your husband have done the right thing talking to her the way you have. *twothumbsupMOM&DAD*

Anonymous said...

Awwww. I am actually shocked it is staring so quickly, I personally don't remember "meanies" until a few years later than that. Sheesh. It's awesome that you guys talked to her about it. I think it makes a differnce knowing you always have a family you can count on. I can't speak as a parent, but I can as a former kid. :)
ak

Michelle said...

I'm so sorry she's experienced kids making fun of her speech :( I didn't think it started that early! I think you're handling it well and I certainly hope she doesn't hear anything from those kids again!