Tales Out of School

Anthropologists interested in the differences between the sexes need only ride shotgun in my SUV after a school pick-up. I never realized just how different boys and girls could be before shuttling two of these little creatures to and from academia.

On Teachers

Clara: "Mommy, I love Miss Luci. She helped me use the bathroom, and let me paint, AND let me play with Play-Doh!"


Joey: "Mommy, what are my teachers' names again?"
Mommy: "Miss Kristi and Miss Jill."
Joey: "Oh yeah. Miss Kristi and Miss Jill. Miss Kristi and Miss Jill. Miss Kristi and Miss Jill. Miss Kristi and Miss Jill. Miss Kristi and Miss Jill. I need to remember that."
(One minute passes.)
Joey: "Mommy, what are my teachers' names again?"

On Playing

Clara: "I helped Henry a lot today. Can I play with Brooke at her house?"

Joey: "Well, I play kind of rough at school. Some kids play more gently, so I don't play with them. I don't play soooo rough that I hit or kick anyone, or kill anyone, though."

Mommy: "Oh, good. That's a relief."

On Discipline

Clara: "Mommy, I'm so sorry. I was bad during clean-up time. Miss Luci said 'Clean up, clean up! Everybody clean up!' And I didn't. I sorry."

Joey: "Playing on the playground is not so fun when the teacher says you can't play with swords. Why can't you play with swords, Mommy?"