Thursday, November 04, 2004

Too Busy

This has been a killer week. It all started over the past weekend and culminated with me almost burning the house down early in the week. I exaggerate. What I did do was turn on the tea kettle and leave for work with the rest of the family still sleeping. The CEO's super nose woke her from her slumber and led her straight to the kitchen where she quickly put out resolved the issue. The super nose was able to smell something strange before the tea kettle even began to blacken. Now at the later part of the week the CEO has been hit with a really nasty virus. I've never seen her so down and out from an illness. Of course this has all coincided with an extremely busy week at work to make for one week that I can't wait for to end.

Ka to address your interesting question about leaving an invisible friend at home. With out knowing all of the details I'm not sure I can comment. If this friend is so prominent to the child that it is a distraction to them learning maybe it is a good idea if they take a day off. However, maybe it could be traumatizing to force the child to abandon or be abandoned by their invisible friend. I'd love to hear more before I really chime in.

Hey! Has anyone listened to the William Shatner song Common People? I put a hyperlink to it like five blogs ago. The CEO and I think it is great and I thought it would be worthy of some comments. (2Kool, you are exempt. Thanks.)

4 comments:

2kool4skool said...

Boy, the invisible friend thing is a tough one. My initial reaction is "what's the harm, I mean, it's just kindergarten," and any parent would want to keep their child feeling safe and comfortable in an otherwise potentially intimidating environment.

That said, I agree with Tony C., if it's becoming an issue with the other kids or a distraction it needs to be nipped-gently- in the bud. (Our teachers are overburdened enough- if every child had an invisible friend that would double the class size!)

It is my understanding (limited as it is) that one of the key elements of kindergarten is socialization, and if a child is escaping into imaginative play instead of trying to find a place with his or her peers, I can see how a teacher would try to redirect that child towards a more social interaction. Perhaps if he or she suggests that the friend will be at home waiting (maybe to hear all about kindergarten?), and that there are plenty of friends at school to play with instead, there could be a happy balance.

Or else the teacher could say that the invisible friend found other friends and doesn't like him anymore.

OK, JUST KIDDING. (It's that inappropriate sense of humor that steered me AWAY from a career in early childhood education.)

Shannon Brazil said...

Just want to take a moment to say how wonderful Tony C has been during these dark days of the Throat. I was knocked down, chewed up and spit out, but Tony C took the wheel and drove us home without so much as a bump in the road, Friends. Hail Tony C! My soupist, my lozenge-fetcher, my tissue-thrower-outer, all-meal-provider, house-cleaner, Daisy-a-thoner, etc., etc, etc. I'm grateful for all of it... well, I could have done without the bit where you made fun of how garbled my voice sounded with my throat so swollen and all, and your mimicry didn't go over very big, but still. Thank you for everything. You're head and shoulders above the rest. I mean it. xoxoxo

Anonymous said...

Hmm, 2Kool, I really like your insightful comments about the invisible friend. I do think that my nephew could use as much socialization with other kids as possible...I was just a pinch worried because I know that for the first two months of school he told his mom, "Please tell Mrs. X I'm a little nervous." But, I think, if handled correctly, the imaginary friend being left at home is just what the doctor ordered. You ARE Too Kool!

And, on another note, I'm glad to hear that Tony C has been catering to the CEO AND, perhaps more importantly, that the CEO has finally realized that sometimes it's okay to be too sick to drag yourself through your normal routines and let someone else but the tofu on the table.

Oops! Gotta go the knit-wits await! click click!
love, KA

2kool4skool said...

Thanks, KA for your compliment; unfortunately I do much better with the parenting dilemmas in the abstract than I do in day-to-day living! Just ask the princess or the doctor in 10-15 years...