The Frog Prince

Another spirit day at school…Fairy Tale Day.  For all my moaning about the spirit days, this is one of my favorite photos that was ever sent home from school! Mikey dressed as the Frog Prince, and the girls in his class who chose to dress as princesses blowing him kisses…classic!

This is what we all hope for our kids at school: that they are included and part of the group, that kids are being kind to them and making them feel welcome.

What a Prince!

At around this age (maybe a little earlier), kids start to exclude each other and experiment with forming groups. The exclusion criteria for these groups can be your clothes being ‘uncool’, you being (or acting) too smart, not brushing your hair…who knows…it could be anything. And often, it’s not things that kids really have control over or are even aware of.

Mikey was a kid who didn’t care about any of that.  He would smile at you, give you a high-five and sit with you at lunch no matter what!  That made him a hit with his classmates. He was kind and caring and without very many words, he showed his classmates that he valued them. Because he was accepting, they liked to be around him.

That made him a kid who was in demand during this phase and through the middle school years when the school social life is tough on a lot of kids. By being the kid who didn’t care if his classmates were wearing last year’s styles or they still liked to watch cartoons, he made them feel good about themselves.

Just a Thought

It is so kind when kids to want to include our special kiddos…AND…our kids also bring their own wonderful-ness to the friendships.  Don’t discount your own child and all they have to offer the world. Help them hold their heads high, even on the days when they’re not wearing a crown.