Last week the school sent home post cards with homeroom assignments. My sixth grader got hers and was so excited that one of her good friends was in the class. We had to go up to the school to do a few things and she got to meet her new teachers. She was so excited. Then, a day before back to school night I received a voicemail from the vice principal stating that we needed to "discuss my daughter's schedule." I was nervous.
So long story short, they test my daughter for the gifted and talented program every year. There are two parts (english/math, ninjas/pirates, gamecocks/clemson? I don't freaking know) and you have to be at a certain level on both parts of this test to qualify as state identified gifted and she only meets one of the two parts. However, she was accidentally placed with the state identified GT kids.
That was an uncomfortable phone call. The lady was like, "Your daughter is very smart...." She gave me a little pep talk before letting me down easy. It's fine, she's super smart and talented. I'm not married to the idea that my kids need to be GT. My youngest is state identified and that's fine and my other is not and that is okay too. I know I've said it before but I don't buy in to the idea that there are certain kids who are predetermined to be high-potential and that all the others are not. Anyway, let me get off my soap box.
I got off the phone and I called my daughter down. "Sit down at the table, sweetie. I have to talk to you about something."
She looked nervous. "Am I in trouble?"
"No. Why? Did you do something?"
"No. Why do I have to sit down?"
I explained to her the situation and that she would not only have a new homeroom teacher but a whole different team of teachers. I could see the tears start to well up in her eyes. Then we had a little talk about how in life sometimes things don't always go as planned and sometimes we have to be flexible and make the best out of the situation we are presented with. We talked about how God has a plan and that there would be lots of friends in her new class.
She took it well. The tears never spilled over her eyes. She is strong and she accepted the reality of the situation. She hugged me and then went off to call her friend to tell her about the class change. A little while later she came back excitedly and gave me a list of all of her friends who are in her new class. The list included a boy, I'll call him Hunter.
Hunter is her "boyfriend." By "boyfriend" it means she's been texting him over the summer. People are like, you let your daughter have a boyfriend? Not really. We don't arrange play dates, they don't ever see each other. I don't encourage it but I don't forbid it either. She can call him the Sultan of South Carolina, it doesn't make it so. You know?
They text each other every 3 or 4 days. Every text conversation is this:
Hi
Hey
What are you doing?
Nothing.
I'm bored.
Me too.
Well, g2g. Bye
Bye.
That's it. Literally every conversation. It's a script. They are friends on Instagram. I have her account linked on my phone so I can see all her messages and who is doing what. He will tag her in videos of puppy dogs. hha. Although, recently he did put on his profile that he is taken by my daughter and he had hearts around her name and a little emoji face with heart eyes. WHOA! What does that mean?
I asked her about it. "Does that mean he like, loves you or something?" She laughed and rolled her eyes. "I don't know." If he did, I don't blame him. She is super pretty, smart, and funny. I know-my opinion is biased. I just don't know how I feel about it. The idea of boys liking my daughters enough to publicly frame their name with hearts on social media is a little nerve wracking for me.
That night I said to my husband, "Boys are going to want to kiss our daughters. On the mouth. Like, they are going to think about it."
He rolled his eyes and said, "Yeah. They are only going to think about kissing them."
I like this Hunter boy though. He's a good kid. Comes from a nice family. I know his mama. He's as socially awkward as my daughter which is good.
We went to back to school night and he was standing there with his dad and when we walked by they didn't wave to each other or acknowledge each other at all. "Isn't that your friend?" I asked. "Yeah, but it's really awkward to see him in person." Okay.
We met the teachers. She hugged her friends and all was right with the world. We did wind up next to Hunter and his parents. I chatted with his mom. We're on the level together. It will be fine.
Now when we get to 7th grade, 8th grade, dare I say, high school -that's when I'll really be in panic mode.
My fourth grader excited to start school. She has most of her friends in her class. All of them are little divas. That classroom will be covered in glitter. She will do great and have a fun time.
I know the kids will give me plenty of material to keep it interesting this year. It will be a saga.
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