“I hated it.”
That’s right. First words out of her mouth when she got off the bus. Really? Seriously? Is this what I have to look forward to? We hurried home and I gave her a snack before launching into the first-day-of-school play by play. Blood sugar fortification, you know.
“Baby, what happened?”
“Well, there is this girl, Haley, she’s actually six even though I’m only five and, well, she doesn’t like me.”–Welcome to the world, Baby Girl–“Today we were walking in line and I tripped and fell down kind of into her or on top of her, I can’t really remember, but then she was like, ‘Get away from me!’ I felt so bad and I tried to apologize…and then later she told me that my new shoes weren’t as cute as her new shoes and that actually, they were stupid.”
What do you say to that? This is what I have to look forward to? Thirteen years of “she hates my shoes”? I remember spending a ridiculous amount of my childhood trying to get the not-so-nice girls to like me. It gave me stomach aches and anxiety when what I really should have done was ignore them and look for someone who needed a friend. So that’s what I went with.
“Look babe, you do not have to play with people who aren’t kind to you. If she says something that hurts your feelings, just smile and walk away.”
June got a perplexed look on her face. “You mean…like an evil smile?”
Yeah. Add an evil cackle and spit at her while you’re at it. “No! Just a nice smile. A Jesus smile.”
“Oh. Right.”
The next day I was on pins and needles waiting to see what the daily report would be. As soon as June was settled at the table with her snack I approached. “Well? How was today? How was Haley?”
Her happy expression instantly darkened–a little too instantly. “She was mean to me,” sniff “and she said I’m stupid and that…she hates me.”
I’ve known this kid for five years and probably a lot longer than that and I can sniff out a lie from a mile away. “Really? Hmm, well I had better call Ms. Greer right now and talk to her about it.”
June’s wounded expression flattened.”I’m just kidding. We played house and she was the kitty.”
Sooo much to look forward to.
Oh yes, it just gets better and better. Let me tell you as another mom of two boys before a girl, it is a whole different world. And as of 14 years into this mothering a daughter thing, I still do not have it figured out. And when you add puberty into the mix well welcome to the roller coaster/drama city. Good luck. People tell me it gets better when they turn 18, so I guess there’s that.