Wed 15 Nov 2006
Today, I heard something about a friend posting some disciplinary slip on his office door. His own office door. So I asked him about it. Turned out that it’s his son’s disciplinary note sent home. I asked him what happened. He said his son got in trouble for repeatedly punching some other kid in school.
“Already?! Isn’t your kid, like, 4? 3?”
“He’s two and a half,” my friend said. “And not just punching. He was also yelling out ‘Fuck you!’ ”
Gosh. And I thought parents only displayed artwork or high-grade test papers from their kids at work. And those things, even kiss-butt things like “I LiK my Dad becaus” lists that teachers make kids write, are at some discreet place like on a low wall next to a desk, not on the office door, for gosh sakes.
The proud dad pointed out, “But the teacher was very impressed that he had the coordination to punch this kid out at his age, and he did pronounce ‘Fuck you’ correctly AND use it in the proper context. He’s very advanced.”
I laughed because I thought I was supposed to.
Thanks to the friend who gave me permission to post this proud moment publicly.
I don’t even find it remotely funny.
I cannot believe he is PROUD of that!!! I’d be so embarassed as a parent. Of course with no kids I have no clue what it would be like but posting that on a door doesn’t seem like my first reaction.
I think it’s one of those it’s-funny-if-you-know-him things. Because he is one of those irreverently humored people, and he’s a young dad.
OMG . . . Times are changing! I would have had to wash my mouth with soap, then put chile on it and sit there for awhile before I was allowed to wash it off, then write a billion sentences of “I will not …” and tons of other punishments until my parents believe I learned my lesson. Then at every possible opportunity my parents would tell friend and family member what happen and I would get lectured from each of them or the look of shame. Never would be parents proudly display about it like it was an A+ paper. Man that kid is LUCKY!
But he’s only TWO and a HALF! Plus, I happen to know that the dad HAD administered the proper corrective lecture and presentation complete with demonstrative aid involving a large Spider Man doll.
I may have read into it all wrong… was he actually proud proud.. like my kid can punch and say f-you at the same time… or oh crap look what my kid did at school embarrassed proud? I may have laughed a little had a co-worker told me his kid did that… but to hang the reprimand on his door…. sigh. Maybe I’m just still pissed that MY kid (11 year old) got in trouble on the school bus for allegedly defending himself last week and got suspended for FIVE days. He said the kid hit him first.. but it doesn’t matter in schools anymore. If you hit back, you’re in just as much trouble.
I’m not sure whether pride had anything to do with it. It was just what I titled the entry, maybe I was injecting something I didn’t mean to. I meant it in a sardonic silly sort of way, and the last thing he said, he said it as a joke. I actually don’t know why he hung the slip on his door. Maybe I should call him and ask. Now I got his voice mail. “Hi, it’s Cindy. I posted the thing about your son’s disciplinary note on my blog and people didn’t seem to think it was funny. I may have told it wrong. And I don’t know WHY you hung the thing on your door. Can you please call me back? Thanks, bye.”
Let us know if he calls ya back!! I’d like to hear what he has to say. Mr. Wonderful would think this is hilarious if his kid said that. And Mr. Wonderful’s mom would too! I’m like Vanessa, I’d still taste soap years later!!
I’m still hung up on my own kid and his sometimes colorful language that I personally never hear, but am told about. Also the whole school bus incident.
Okay, THIS may put you guys at ease. He said that he didn’t post it on his office door, his officemate posted it on the door. He’d brought it into work “to show”. I explained that people are abhorred that he could be proud about that, because I’d facetiously entitled the post “proud dad,” and he said, “No, no, no…I’m not proud.”
There, you see? He’s a decent dad.
*nodding*, phew, that’s much better.
I’ll take back the evil thoughts I had.