"I've never had a student who was so good at getting the whole class together to play at recess. He leaves no one out and assigns them each a part. He even found a part for Clint."
Clint is a boy in his class who was born with several congenital deformities. He is 8 years old and the height of my 3 year old, and his right hand has only 3 fingers. He was shunned by his classmates for all of 2nd grade, and this year decided not to even try. He simply sat down on the sidewalk during recess and waited for it to be over.
#3 was having none of that. He walked over to his classmate and asked him why he didn't want to play. "There is nothing for me to do," Clint told him with a shrug.
"Are you kidding?" my son asked. "We're playing Star Wars and you'd be an awesome Yoda. He's short and has three fingers, too!" A slow smile spread over Clint's face, and then my son and his Jedi Master ran off to defend the Universe.
19 comments:
Oh, how sweet! The impact he is having on others' lives is beautiful. Clint will remember your boy the rest of his life!
That is the best thing I've heard all day. I'd say socially your son is way ahead of the 'regular kids'. -Loretta
This made me cry. If only we could mass produce your little of your boy's attitude. As a mother, you must be so proud. I only hope to raise such compassionate children who lead like your son!
Tears in my eyes. Just lovely.
I'm not a crier, but this one got me. There's a reason he is where he is. What a special boy you have raised.
So sweet! A little teary-eyed here.
Wow! How cool is that?!
:D
good boy!!!
"they" say homeschoolers aren't exposed to people different from them.
Baloney!! I think my kids interact and interact positively with children who are not 'just like everyone else' much more than your typical kid in a B&M school. In our little rural area we've got multiple autistic children, children with DS, Prader-Willi Syndrome, hand and arm malformations, a couple who are deaf/hard of hearing, one angel with spina bifida and the funniest kid around with some pretty serious dyslexia. Sure, the more typical kids are aware of their friends differences but those differences do NOT define them in the eyes of their friends.
Kudos to L. for showing his new classmates how they should treat each other and for you, mom for raising such a good boy.
Attaboy.
Mind what you have learned. Save you it can.
That is so cool it almost sounds like a made up story in a Chicken Soup For The... kind of book. What a neat little dude.
How beautiful!
Gosh, now everyone at work is going to ask me why I'm teary-eyed.
What's that? I'm not supposed to be reading blogs at work? Shhhh, don't tell!
What a beautiful soul your son has :)
SUCH a sweet story!!
Maybe this public school thing isn't going to be all bad, right?
:)
This is an amazing story! I'm going to have to share this post with some friends.
Teaching this kind of social awareness (in the true sense, not in the PC sense) and compassion should be our primary goal in educating children, but it so easily gets lost in exclusive focus on academics and "looking out for number one".
Last year I heard through the grapevine that my 8 year old son (third grader this year as well) had helped an unpopular student through a difficult day, including standing up for him in the face of other students who were taunting him. I was so pleased and proud of him, so much more so than I ever would have been regarding any academic accomplishment.
As much as it has been tough for you to send your son to public school, like other commenters have said, it sounds like there's a reason he's there. Him being there could make all the difference in the world for little Clint. And to think what Clint's mom will think and how she will feel when she learns that he is being included at recess and that his role is being valued -- it has to give you goosebumps. Our Lord and the Blessed Virgin are looking out for your little one and have big plans for him!
If I wasn't so tough and manly, I might actually have teared up reading this.
3# rocks.
That brought a little tear to my eye!
WoW!!! Your son is awesome adn you are raising quite a man of virtue. :)
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