Thursday, April 24, 2008

A Wolf At The Door

It's IEP time again, and we all know how fun that is. Niko will be going to kindergarten next year, and he'll have to move to a completely new school since his current one doesn't have a special ed kindergarten. How strange is that? Special ed preschool programs, but no kindergarten. I feel the old anxiety acting up again. How will he be accepted? What will his new teacher be like? Will we get the "This school isn't a good fit" conversation again?

I worry too much. I realize this. Niko is better at adapting than I am, and he's been doing wonderfully well. Still.

One of my friends made some unkind comments about another friend's child the other day. Unwarranted and unsubstantiated comments, and it has, of course, caused some contention there. I think, who are we to be unkind to other people's children? Who are we to find them lacking in some way? My gosh, there is a wolf at the door all of the time, trying to get to our children. If you can't count on your FRIENDS to back you up, how are they ever going to survive?

7 comments:

Andrea said...

Wow! Amen! Amen.

I can't believe he's old enough to go to KINDERGARTEN! Shneikies! He's getting so big!

Tes said...

I feel your pain, lila will be in kindergarten next year. IEP is scheduled for May, yikes.

Laura said...

We are currently doing the IEP rounds, as well. I always get that anxiety at the end of every school year.....I worry about the next year's teacher, the kids, the work level/load, will this be the year the kids really realize that she's different and make fun of her...and on, and on it goes. I drive myself fare more crazy than she ever does! But, I guess that'sdour job as parents.
I just had one of those "wolf at the door" moments with a so-called friend, it's disheartening for sure.

Amy said...

The good moms are the ones that worry the most. As a parent of special kiddos I have discovered that not all "friends" are necessarily cut of the same cloth as I, and perhaps that is ok and it is time to move on. Good luck with all IEP things and other endeavors my dear!
xoxo
Amy

Rachel said...

Wow. You always say these things better than I ever could. I'm sorry about your friend.

And wow - kindergarten! My, he is just growing so fast!

BCC said...

Oh dear. "Friends" who are not kind to your children? Are not friends.

Single and otherwise childless people who happen to not particularly care for children are not what I'm talking about. I don't expect the world to dote on my children.

But if you are a parent, and if you consider another parent your friend, then you should well understand the "kind vs. unkind to friend's children" hurdle that you need to clear.

BCC said...

P.S. WHAT is your "friend" thinking?! FWIW, I would love to have friends like you and your beautiful children in my family's life. I think it's pretty obvious that you're amazing!