9-7-07 My Son's Unnecessary Trauma

Yesterday was a terrible day for my little boy.

His therapist had canceled at the last minute on Wednesday for Thursday. I had tried to call the school to tell them on Wed. but the number they had given me was incorrect.

So Thursday morning I wrote a Huge note in the Home-School communication book. It said that Aric's therapy had canceled, I would Not be picking him up early and that he was to ride the bus home.

They did not read the note.

So when I did not pick him up at 1:45, they assumed I FORGOT him.

And that is what they told the bus driver. And so the bus driver would not take him on the bus--because she said that I MIGHT NOT BE HOME to get him off the bus.

ALL of this was being discussed OPENLY in front of Aric.

So then I got a call about the time that he was supposed to be coming home saying that he was still at school since I had FORGOTTEN him.

And when I heard the woman on the phone say this, I heard Aric in the background crying---and it got louder when she said "forgotten"

My heart broke.

I went to the school to pick him up and the first thing I did when he ran over to me was take his face in my hand and look in his eyes and say "It's all right baby, mommy didn't forget you" ....and he just heaved a few more weeping sighs and stopped crying immediately and tried to smile.

Poor little guy.

I then asked the teacher and the principal who were there waiting for me (probably to read me the riot act) if they had seen the note.

The teacher suddenly looked kind of pale and said "no, I must have paged through the book too quickly"

(It's the 3rd day of school--there are 3 pages---she didn't f*cking look at the book!)

Suddenly they were all apologies and the principal was offering Aric kleenex for his tears and talking to him like he was a normal kid.

Hmmmm....

I was going to get a sitter and go to a social event last night, but Aric was so upset that I changed my plans and spent the evening at home. He must have been crying for a long time because his eyes were red and puffy for Hours after he got home.

I wish people would Understand that he can Comprehend what is being said around him. Just because he can't talk doesn't mean he doesn't know what is going on.

No kid wants to hear that his Mom FORGOT him. That's just terrible.

Would they have been that crude about it around a normal 7 year old?