Friday, March 20, 2009

I think my child must be a major suck-up

My eldest daughter, one of the three apples floating around in my eye, is delightful. She's happy, she's thoughtful, she's cute-as-a-button, and I think she might be a suck-up. She comes home with so many Praise Notes from school. A Praise Note is a recognition that a kid gets for going above and beyond. You can get them from helping another child who is crying or setting a good example, or any host of other things. My child has 17. The first two she got I displayed proudly in my kitchen. As more and more came home, I started to stack them. Actually, it is quite possible that she had more than 17 because I stopped being careful about where I put them some time ago. The last praise note that she got was from the bus driver...how exceptional can the child possibly be while she sits in her seat and rides the bus?

It isn't that I don't want her to be a good kid. I do. I just don't want her to be doing good just to seek recognition from her teachers. I think the other kids will hate her for that and it a lesser motivation that doing good because her heart wants to help others. (Interestingly, her mom struggles with that same dilemma...do I want to help others because it makes me feel like a good person or do I do it because I really truly want to sacrifice for others. Still working on that.)

My options are limited. I certainly can't rebuke her for being a suck-up when I wasn't even there to witness it. I must smile and tell her that I am proud of her for making good choices at school. I exclaim "wow" proudly when she brings home yet another pencil from her principal. But I might book her a few playdates with her friends away from school so they can see she really is a fun kid....

3 comments:

  1. I am impressed that her school takes the time to pass out so many praise notes.
    I have found sometimes teachers are sopposed to "catch" the students being good, but they get to busy and don't take the time to actually do it.
    Love your blog!

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  2. Hey Lisa,
    I love your blog and I can't believe how big your kids are getting! I wanted to thank you too for that very sweet letter you sent. It really meant a lot!
    Blessings!

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  3. Home Goods is a home decor store. It's like taking the home department in a Ross, Marshall's or T.J. Maxx and making a whole store out of it. I checked and it looks like there aren't any in Washington. I believe the closest one to you would be Portland Or.
    Have a great week-end!

    ReplyDelete

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