A career in diplomacy?

If teaching gets too much I think I have what it takes to make a career in diplomacy! Yesterday almost became the first day Shannon has not cried about something – almost! Patrick came downstairs in the night to tell me that Shannon was crying.

I couldn’t think of anything I had done to set her off! Sit turned out that she didn’t want to go to swimming class the next day. At first she just mumbled that she didn’t like it and go the lecture of me not liking to do things but having to do them anyway. Not liking something was not a good enough reason not to do it. I also told her gruesome tales of when the skill of swimming might just save her life or the lives of other people! She wasn’t taking the bait and insisted that I needed to write a note to get her excused.

Now, I don’t know about this note business. A wee voice inside sort of said that Shannon had enough on her plate and whether she swam or not was no great shakes. Another voice said that if I gave way on this issue, it could be the beginning of a downward slide. How often did she get her own way at home with Shona? I was tempted to phone an expert – Alyson W – for advice. In the end I just decided to leave it till the morning to decide – let us both sleep on it.

The next morning, Shannon was still determined that she didn’t want to go swimming. It must be the teacher in me, but it goes against the grain, writing a note without a good reason. I grilled her again trying to get to the core of the problem. Eventually she told me that they were being encouraged to jump off the side of the pool and into the water and she was frightened to do that. I suggested that she tell the teacher she was frightened and was not ready for it. Shannon agreed to give it go and the request for the note was withdrawn!

It is minefield this looking after children business!