My Confident Child

I dropped James off at school this morning at about 10 minutes before his first bell rang. The children cluttered the playground. Typically, James and I go through a normal morning routing of "Goodbye Mom" "Goodbye James." "I love you." "I love you too." In that order. It cannot be said in any other way, shape, form, or tone of voice. BUT today as James exited the vehicle he was too distracted to go through our morning ritual. Four or Five boys lined the fence calling his name and James could not get to the gate fast enough as they met him there to greet him.

He is the child I worry most about. He has a strange sense of style about him. Earlier this year he insisted on wearing shorts EVERY day. And not just any shorts, they had to be gym type shorts. He has three pairs he cycled through repeatedly. God forbid I did not do the laundry twice a week. With those gym shorts James would tuck whatever shirt he happened to wear with them into them so that the shorts then sat nicely on his hips with nothing in the way. Finally I was able to find a few pairs of pants he would wear. The other day while waiting in line to pick him up from school, two teenage boys passed by my car with skinny jeans on rolled up above their ankles. I giggled to myself, took a picture with my phone and sent it on to a few friends asking if this was the latest style. Then as I approached the front of the line James came running towards me - with his Jeans rolled up above his ankles like a movie from the 1950's... I was sure that a poodle skirt must be around somewhere.

I asked him why he was doing that and he said he got hot in PE. I question him with my intense fear and worry that he will be made fun of by his peers but as for now, he is confident in his own skin and clothes and does not care what anyone else thinks about him. AND he has many friends just the way he is.