There is a little girl in his class that has been bringing her imaginary dog to school this week, she is very attached to this dog and evidently has been making a point of getting everyone else attached to the imaginary dog also, and today it became a problem.
This little girl began playtime by getting right up into Benjamin’s face with her invisible dog, to which he told her to get away, he turned away from her and the teacher said that the little girl followed Benjamin’s move and leaned into his face once again, Benjamin was getting agitated by this time and said loudly “get out of my face”
She followed him one last time and leaned into his face once again, this time Benjamin shouted “You better get out of my face or I am going to kick your damned dog” the little girl was traumatized and the teacher had to step in and remove the imaginary dog to the office for safe keeping.
Removing the dog, and getting the little girl out of Benjamin’s face, diffused the situation and explaining that he couldn’t cuss in class nor threaten imaginary animals no matter how obnoxious their owners are, I have a feeling the teachers need to laugh was fulfilled when she removed the imaginary dog to the office.
I am thankful for teachers that will walk an imaginary dog to the office, rather than have a four year old arrested for lashing out at a classmate who will most likely have a whole new obsession before too long.
I guess I am going to have to have a long talk with Benjamin’s Daddy once again, because cussing in class will most likely continue as long as Daddy doesn’t watch his mouth at home, I am not sure if the dog will be back or not, but I know its disappearance will not be at the hand of my grandson.
Uh oh! Good luck with that. My son and his ex used very bad language around their kids. I'm surprised their first words weren't expletives.
ReplyDeleteHey Ms. A, We both have worked with Benjamins Dad on this, never have we had a problem with Benjamins language around us but from the stories we are told...
DeleteI remember years ago when my daughter was 2, she overheard me say a bad word and she repeated it a few times. Thankfully I stopped cussing out loud and she eventually forgot the word. It was a great reminder for me to watch my words when her brother came along a few years later. They are mimes at that age, picking up what we say and what we do. We have to be careful. Maybe your son could have a cuss jar where he has to pay it if he uses wrong words.
ReplyDeletebetty
A tenuous situation, that's for sure. The teacher should be proud of herself for dealing with an imaginary dog the way she did. It is so easy to let slip with wrong words but the onus is on the adult to be more careful in front of little ones. I had an aunt who swore every other word but her daughter never picked up on it. Even now I never hear my cousin use bad language. That's not always the case though since young kids easily pick up on words they never should have heard in the first place.
DeleteYou are so right Betty, The kids do pick up everything you say and repeat the majority of it, a cuss jar would be a good idea I think I will mention that.
DeleteHi Valerie, I was impressed with the teacher also in the clever way she removed the imaginary dog from the situation, I am surprised that your cousin never picked up on the swearing from her Mom, most children would have picked right up on it, I suppose deep down she must have known it to be wrong.
DeleteAt least Benjamin understood how to use the word in the right context. LOL
ReplyDeleteYes Bijoux that is the scary part when they use the words correctly ha ha
Deleteoh, my... funny, but sad, too! :)
ReplyDeleteIt was easy to talk with Benjamin about how this was wrong, but hard not to laugh until the phone call was over ;)
DeleteI agree with Bijoux
ReplyDeleteHi Joe, Funny how quick they pick up the words and understand how to use them.
DeleteI think Benjamin used remarkable restraint for someone his age. At least he didn't poke his finger in the imaginary dog's imaginary eye. It would be terrible if Benjamin were reported to the Imaginary PETA.
ReplyDeleteStephen that was also my fear when I first heard of the situation, I'd hate to see the imaginary PETA group marching in front of the preschool.
DeleteHa - you are so right about kids picking up bad words from their parents! My ex was in the army and salty language is quite "normal" there, but he learned to never use it in front of the kids after we noticed the oldest one started using those same words.
ReplyDeleteBy the time our second son came around, we were really proud of ourselves that we never swore in front of the kids.
And then...my mother-in-law asked our second son (at the time about two or three years old) about his dinner.
Son: "I had mashed potatoes and meatloaf," he said. "Mom f*!#d it up."
Mother-in-law: "What?"
Son: "Mom f*!#d up my meatloaf."
Mother-in-law: Speechless.
Me: "He means "forked it up" - as in, I cut it for him into little pieces with a fork!"
I can just see the horror on your Mother-in-laws face, your son was probably wondering what she was so upset about.
Delete"I guess I am going to have to have a long talk with Benjamin’s Daddy once again, because cussing in class will most likely continue as long as Daddy doesn’t watch his mouth at home."
ReplyDeleteJimmy, it's so ironic that you posted about this topic because I was talking on the phone with my nephews wife a few weeks ago, and she mentioned the same thing about her little boy. He has started cussing (like his father) at school, so she had to have a talk with her husband. Kids are like parrots, they repeat everything.
Love that last photograph of Benjamin!!!
I think this same situation has come up in the majority of our families, I always said that if you were going to slip up and let a cuss word fly in front of your child, that would be the one repeated in front of the preacher ha ha
DeleteThat was a picture we took at Disney this past summer :)
Ha, this is a great story I'm sure will be told to Benjamin many times through the years. I love teachers like that, too.
ReplyDeleteHey Suzi, I agree this will become a story told for many years to come, yes you have to love teachers like this.
DeleteThis is really a great story Jimmy! He stood up to the girl who wouldn't stop "getting in his face" without punching or pushing her. That's a good thing.
ReplyDeleteI guess he also could have used much worse words than he did.
Hey Pat, I was surprised there was no pushing or punching involved, we know how kids can be and I know like you that the words could have been a whole lot worse.
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