TheMommyBlog

Friday, September 28, 2007 Family

I received this (edited) email from a parent of my daughter’s classmate last night:

Heya Mindy -

Just a quick note to let you know you should be very proud of Daphne - she showed some serious integrity in the face of peer pressure today. It being my daughter’s birthday, I brought in Banana Bread and Strawberries for the kids at snack time. Daphne really liked the bread (ate a couple of pieces in fact) but ran out of tummy room somewhere around piece three. At any rate, she wrapped it in her napkin and came inside with my daughter & another classmate. I was inside with the room with my son, hidden in the play kitchen where they didn’t see me. They walked over to the backpacks and I heard Daphne say “I really liked my bread. I want to save it.”
My daughter: “I don’t think you can. Our teacher said no saving.”
Other classmate: “You should just hide it.”
Daphne: “I don’t think I should do that.”
Other classmate: “It ok. Our teacher is outside. Just stick it in your backpack.”
Daphne: “No. I don’t think I should.”
At this point I tried to (casually) stroll over and ask what was up. My daughter (on the spot reporter that she is) promptly informed me that Daphne wanted to keep her bread, but the teacher told her she couldn’t, but that someone else said she should stick it in her backpack.
I told Daphne she absolutely did the right thing by not hiding it and promised that if she threw away the piece in her hand I would give her a new piece to take home after class.
I thought that it took a lot of courage to stand up to a classmate and tell her “no” when she provided a very simple and do-able (albeit unlawful according to Kindergarten rules) solution to her “how to save my bread” problem. She knew better and despite the temptation to do something and get away with it - she stood up, followed the rules and in what could have potentially been a friend alienating situation, she stood her ground.

Lest I sound like a complete freak, I know that hidden Banana Bread isn’t exactly a crime worthy of corporal punishment, but I was proud of Daphne for taking the high road.
I’m glad that she and my daughter are becoming friends. It’s so nice to know that she has found someone who makes heading off to school a fun and exciting prospect. Once you have a friend who has your back, the rest becomes so much easier, doesn’t it?
Oh no, my wine glass is empty and I have yet to start dinner. Better run. See you soon…
-Daughter’s Mom

*Melting*

When I called Daphne this morning to tell her how proud I was, she told me, “And she said she’d give me another piece after school!”

“Oh! Then you could eat it at after-school care!”

“Well, I thought I would eat it there, but then I decided to save it for Daddy.”

*Vaporizing*