Really? My kid?

Hubby and I had the pleasure to sit down with our son’s preschool teacher for a teacher-parent conference, and though they had nothing but high praise for the little booger, we were shocked to hear that Destructo Boy is far from Destructo Boy at school.  I still have a smidge of doubt, but I have to believe what the teachers say to be true.  Afterall, the kid is always napping angelically when I pick him up after work, and naps at home no matter how consistently our routine is, they just don’t happen without a knock-down-drag-out fight with tears and tantrums.

“He’s always the first kid asleep.” Hmm…
“He’s great at sharing!” My kid?
“He’s very empathetic.”  Seriously?
“He’s great at coloring between the lines.”  What?  The child who would prefer to color on my couches than on paper?
“He’s an excellent listener and shows true remorse whenever he does something inappropriate.”  My jaw dropped.

Who am I leaving with these teachers, and who am I picking up to take home?

What is it about children being so much better behaved for their teachers than at home?  This isn’t always the case of course as I witnessed earlier in the same day a student acting quite like the little toot to a teacher, and this only makes me think how much worse it must be for the parents at home, the poor dears. I get that the kids are testing their boundaries because they feel safe to explore, knowing parents give them unconditional love.  I get it, but I don’t like it. I suppose it is better to have a well behaved child for other people than a child who is well behaved at home and acts like a total punk in public.

Are your kids like this too?

Related posts:

1. What can we do as parents to help?
2. Kindergarten is no easy picnic.
3. Preparing for Standardized Tests
4. We’re number 2! How different it is to raise #2.
5. Behave your way to change.