momAgenda Blog

At the Risk of Offending Kathie Lee

May 14, 2008 2:49 PM

I am going to blog today not about organizational issues, a topic on which I (laughably) claim to be an "expert", but about being a mommy. Because today, and yesterday, and actually every day, all days are really all about being a mommy. And I offer no apologies to anyone, especially not Kathie Lee who is apparently uncomfortable with people talking about their kids in public, (see Dooce here ) which strikes me as highly ironic, given her past history, but I digress, as I am probably not going to be invited to appear on the Today Show anytime soon.
So anyway, today was a first, because my little angel, my sweet little 4-year-old boyfriend Jamie, was sent home from school for being naughty.
And what did he do to deserve the punishment of being sent home from school? I am almost too mortified to tell you, but I will anyway. My dear sweet 4th child, along with 3 of his friends, pulled his pants down and mooned a little girl at school. On the playground, in front of the entire student body.
The school principal, the very businesslike Ms. White, called me and left a very somber message about what had transpired, saying I would have to come to school and pick him up as this was inappropriate and unacceptable behavior for preschool. As I drove to school, I felt really nervous -- for some reason the school principal still instills fear in me. When I walked nervously in to her office, she took one look at me and burst out laughing. This made me feel better about the fact that my husband had done the exact same thing when I called and told him what had happened. (To be honest, I think he was secretly proud, but that is another story.)
Worst of all, it turns out that when Ms. White was told of my son's transgression, she was in the process of being interviewed by a prospective preschool student's family, who were summarily horrified and will probably not send their child to this wonderful preschool BECAUSE OF MY SON MOONING A GIRL.
I then had to suffer the torture of giving Jamie "the talk" about how private parts are private, and we don't show them to anyone except when mommy gives us a bath, etc., without laughing, which was really hard.
And my poor Jamie is MORTIFIED. He has never been in trouble at school in his entire life, and now he has been busted for exposing himself in public. He is totally humiliated and bummed out. I just could not bring myself to punish him for this first offense.
But next time... oh, please don't let there be a next time.

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