Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Naughty

Hedgehog has a very bad little boy in her second grade classroom, we'll just call him Sam. Sam is much reviled around Chez Weatherinthestreets; he teases, he pushes, one must go in to see the teachers about him sometimes even, and I know he's their Number One problem. They actually seem a bit unsure about how to handle this little wretch. But despite the very real problems with Sam, Hedgie is a secret fan of bad behavior. Part of this ill-concealed glee comes from the fact that she herself is incredibly well-behaved in school. If I were to psychoanalyze, I would say that she gets a vicarious thrill out of others acting out their Id when she herself is tightly governed by her Superego. But I won't get too Freudian here.

Or maybe I will. On our walk home from school this afternoon, Hedgie was bursting to tell me a story: in art class, when they were supposed to be creating little figures of some sort out of clay, Sam took advantage of a distracted art teacher. "Mama," Hedgie was actually bouncing along the street with laughter and excitement. "Sam made a clay penis! And then he glued it to the front of his pants and marched around the room showing it off!"

My reaction? I burst out laughing. How fabulous! I even said that to her. I asked Hedgie what the teacher did, and she said, "scolded loudly!" and I said I wasn't sure that it was deserving of a scolding. I told her that I didn't really think it was wrong to talk about penises or even to make a clay model of one.

But Hedgie, even in her delight, was still sensible. She reminded me that it was all about context. "Talking about penises in school would definitely be okay if we happened to be studying the human body," she said firmly. And making a clay penis? "That's okay too, but not to parade around and disrupt the class."

I had to concede the point.

17 comments:

just bob said...

Women always go for the bad boys... no wonder I'm alone.

The Girl from Lokhandwala said...

:) there's not much I can say...

Loz said...

Hegie sounds wise beyond her years - P.S. I would have laughed too :)

Megan said...

Oh my.

I don't know whether to be glad Liam would never have done such a thing, or sorry that he didn't have the...gotta say it...balls to do so!

kylie said...

i just love that!
i would have laughed and i would most likely develop a soft spot for that naughty boy as well, disruptive and all :)

Suzanne said...

God, I love that child. I love her, I love her, I love her.

One more thing. I love you. I love you, I love you, I love you. I do.

XO ;)

Suzanne said...

Honey, just back again to ask a question. I could never have that think up on the right side. You know, the one that records all those who visit. Why don't they say something? That would kill me. Does it ever both you? Or does it bother you more that I actually drop by and say "HEY!!!"

XO

Leah said...

Bob--every mother dreams of the day her daughter brings home a boy with a clay penis glued to the front of his pants...

The Mistress said...

"Sam made a clay penis! And then he glued it to the front of his pants and marched around the room showing it off!"

I want to do that!

*heads over to pottery wheel*

savannah said...

it is truly hard to believe that hedgie doesn't have big brothers! she sounds very much like my girl did back in the day! ya'll are doin a marvelous job, sugar! xoxo

Romeo Morningwood said...

Have you met Sam's handlers? Hedgie is being very mature about this.

If Sam had pulled this stunt in my Catholic Elementary School back in the 60s..Mother Superior would have magically burst into the room within seconds of his tomfoolery.

With her huge, black, cape flowing behind her like Darth Vader, she would have grabbed him by his scrawny neck and lifted him off the ground. With a swish of her hairy arm, her cane would have materialised like a light saber.
((WHACK))

Before Sam would have had a chance to scream he would have been carried halfway to her office where the real punishment was about to begin.

The rest of the class would have stood motionless and silent for a few minutes...then, as suddenly as it began it was over...
and we would never speak of this matter again until later on in life when we were in therapy.

Sam should be counting his blessings.

just bob said...

Donn... did we go to the same grade school? The same exact scenario would have happened at my Catholic school.

Karen ^..^ said...

You are the coolest mom ever. I wish you had been my mom.

If I had ever even THOUGHT the word penis, my foster mother would have washed my brain out with soap.

Hedgie is adorable.

savannah said...

*ack* thanks a lot, donn...you had to mention the penguins...just when i think i've forgotten 12 years under their spell...


sigh

Leah said...

I hate to say that Sam needs more discipline than he's getting--and not because of the clay penis incident, but because of his other misdeeds. There must be something midway between abusive nuns and overly permissive progressive educators...right?

Karen--thank you so so much! I seriously needed to hear that tonight, after many wrangles with the Hedgehog...none of which I thought I handled especially well...

Skeeter said...

Hi Leah,

Wow, I would have laughed too ... and had to concede the point as well. Your Hedgie is sharp!

Best wishes,

Skeeter

Anonymous said...

lol!