Tonight was back to school night at my kid's high school. One is a Freshman, the other a Junior. I sit here enlightened at how things change through the years. All you moms know what I mean.
When your babies begin Kindergarten, you are the overprotective mother. You get mad if some other kid even thinks of pushing your baby off the tricycle at recess. When the teacher tells you something negative about your baby you get defensive, even if in the back of your mind you know it's true. Secretly, you hate the teacher a little, and you may even feel guilty for it.
You go to volunteer at the elementary school as the years go by, and they are still your perfect baby, even though you sometimes witness your perfect baby being a total brat. Sure the teacher says negative things still as well as positive but you only hear the good. If they can't see how perfect your baby is, maybe the Principal will when you complain that the teacher is insensitive.
Then...Junior high. By now your perfect babies are rolling their eyes at you, telling you how embarrassing you are and oh , did I mention this is the point they even tell you they hate you. You still love your babies and still think even a little that the teacher must have misplaced that missing assignment, even though you know your kid is crazy and really didn't turn it in.
It is around the end of their junior high years and into the beginning of high school that those days from long ago when your kid begged you to please call the teacher and ask how they can bring up their grade is gone. If your kid wants to fail on their own so be it, you can't hold their hand anymore, though secretly you still want to. Gone are the days of talking crap about their teacher and something magical happens...you really love their teachers.
It is like these teachers are heaven sent angels who have the grueling task of educating your children when you can't. They understand your feelings and know exactly what buttons your kids use against any adult who tries to spoil their day and are your buddies. The tables have turned and you realize they are good people trying to make a difference in your kid's lives, and suddenly you are grateful for teachers everywhere...except the dumb ones of course. I know, I know I just totally switched gears there, but let's face it, you know there are teachers out there that you wonder how in the hell they got into teaching. I will only say that out of the 13 teachers between my kids teachers, there is just one, but I would never mention who!
Really though I was intrigued that I liked them all so much. They were cool and hip and just the kind of teacher I would want my kids to have. Even the few that they mentioned they didn't like, I did.
They will understand one day when they are walking around at open house night with their babies right after the kids roll their eyes at them and tell them they are embarrassing...ah sweet reveng, I await you patiently.
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