Teaching Moment

I literally just walked in the door.  Fresh from a teaching moment.

School starts at 7:55.  I got a call from the telephone in my daughter’s classroom at 8:00.  Her panicked, baby bird voice coming down the line told me she had forgotten her accordion folder on the kitchen table.

To understand the importance here, you have to understand that the accordion folder contains her ENTIRE 5th grade life.  Papers to be turned in.  Papers to be completed.  Assignments-in-process.  For all subjects.  For the whole year.

And to understand the importance here again, you have to understand that we’ve been struggling all week with making sure the accordion folder gets INTO the backpack after homework is done each night so it’s there when she gets to school the next morning!

So….now….her/my/our fears have come true.  She’s at school and the folder is at home.  And the pressure is on like Donkey Kong.

The former Working Woman me would have said, “Sorry, Sweetie.  I’m at work and can’t run all the way home.  Get the folder.  Drop it off at school.  And get back to work.  So you’ll just have to face the consequences.”  The new Stay at Home Mom me was sitting there with one hand on the folder and a coffee cup in the other.  An appointment at 1 does not qualify as a busy morning.  And I could get to school AND back home in the space of 30 minutes.  PLUS I’ve been wanting to be a more kind-and-loving mother instead of the smarmy, I-told-you-so mother I always seem to be with her lately.  BUT if I do bring the folder to school, will she finally LEARN to put it into her backpack every night after homework??

What to do?  What to do?!?

My beautiful baby girl.  She’s still so tiny.  And sometimes it’s just so hard to be 10.  And does she deserve any less compassion than I would show my husband?  Or an acquaintance??  Or even a colleague (not that I have any right now.  But I did at one point.  And I will again soon, I’m sure).

The next 5 minutes found me getting dressed, plopping a ball cap on my head and racing out the door.  [Side Note: Is this why ALL the stay at home moms wear ball caps?  Have I finally unraveled that mystery??  We’re all unexpectedly running forgotten homework to school???!?)

Folder in the school office by 8:15.  Daughter’s name announced over the intercom.  Teacher notified via email.

Her teaching moment has been saved for another day.  I’ve just had mine.

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