No hitting!

That is usually a good rule to follow. Sometimes little people fail to see the reasoning behind the rule. I got a call from Bubba and Little H's kindergarten teacher last Thursday. Does your stomach sink when you get that just after school call? Mine does. It does not happen very often these days but I still react the same. Flashbacks from C-Dogs first grade nightmare come rolling through my mind. The teacher Mrs. H quickly asks if I have seen Bubba's fat lip as he is standing next to me with his fat lip pulled out. I quickly tell her I am just being shown the proof of someone else's handiwork. A chubby lip and a little cut inside  his lower lip. I quickly wonder what he did to get some other child mad enough to hit. Before I can ask, I am told that the guilty strong arm belongs to none other than Little H. Nice...... My daughter gave my son a fat lip in kindergarten. It is funny in a you will look back at this some day and chuckle kind of way. If that is not bad enough apparently he is the 3rd kid to see the end of her fist that week. WHAT? Little H is the class bully? Mrs. H assures me she is surprised and that it had just been a bad week. Bubba accidentally stepped on her and nailed him. Another unsuspecting five year took two blows to the back for bumping her. Has she had many fun times this weekend, nope! She came out of the womb a hitter. It is her weapon of choice and we have been trying for years to get it under control and just when I think we have seen the end of it, here it comes again with a vengeance. After discussing each situation with the teacher we both decided it is happening  because of fatigue. Adjusting to all day kindergarten is hard on small bodies. She does come from a large family where a quiet girl like her has not too many defenses and thus comes out fighting. So we are working so hard to use our words and not our hands. We are not letting the smallest indiscretion slip at home and are really encouraging her to speak up for herself and to recognize no one is trying to be mean. Oh I hope it finally sinks in we have really tried everything, I promise! We even talk about hitting in our prayers. Hopefully as she adjusts she will learn to keep her hands to herself.

A sweet girl like her does not need to earn herself any trouble.

P.S. just wrote her adoption story on my private blog.