One of Little Wisdom

Nature Girl, my daughter and I went off to the Saturday market. She thinks the magic of such an outing is to go reallyreally early in the morning. This thing of going at 8:30 AM is just way too late… I can sympathize with the cause, but I reallyreally do appreciate a bit of a sleep-in on the weekend.

Nature Girl and a boy in her class were voted as class speakers. She complained the other night about the fact that she has to do all the work (e.g. collecting absentee lists and passing on school news to the children), and the boy who is the class speaker with her is doing nothing. I, in all my adult wisdom and having worked in a “man’s world” for over twenty years, suggest that she ask him politely but firmly to take over one or two specific tasks for a specific period of time.

She didn’t think this would work. When I asked her why, she responded by saying that not only did this boy lack leadership skills (my words), but he is aways in the middle of any trouble that takes place in the class when the teacher isn't there. When I asked for a specific example, she mentioned that this boy helped hang another boy out of the window during recess.

Very quietly and calmly, I asked her what classroom they were in when this happened (their art room is on the 4th floor!). She looked at me as though I was crazy; what does the classroom have to do with this boy not doing his class speaker duties? It turns out that they were in their homeroom on the first floor at the time: but still, a head is a broken head if he had fallen.

I gave up. This whole topic overtaxes my Little Mind. So, I suggested she talk to her homeroom teacher about it. Thus, once again proving myself to be one of little wisdom or sovereignty.