Peter’s drawing

I just read a story about a mother who was called to school because her daughter hit another student. She was late getting to the school due to the fact that she was an ER nurse and wasn’t able to just leave. It turned out that the boy had been snapping the bra strap of the girl and after telling the teacher the student did it again. So the daughter slugged him. I can relate somewhat to this due to the fact that my son was in a pre-k class and I got “The Call” Ms. Moe you have to come in right away. Telling my boss who was thrilled at the time. I dashed to the school expecting to see blood gore and maybe a dead body or two.

What I found was my son, age 4,  sitting in the office sipping a juice box. Being the wonderful parent that I am I assumed he had done something wrong. The school counselor, teacher and the head of the Early Childhood Education program were huddled around a table. I tried to ask Peter what happened. I must admit to being a little curious as to what “The Call” was about. But before I could talk to him, I was whisked into the room where all of the EDUCATED people seemed to be looking at a drawing made by a 4-year-old.

I looked at it and didn’t see anything too alarming about it. Until the counselor moved her arm. I saw a penis, drawn by a four-year old. But it was definitely a penis. They looked at me like I was having my son draw peniss (peni?) all the time. The head of the Early Childhood Development started out with “We, find this a very serious matter.” Looking at me like he really thought it would intimidate me. I started to laugh. Of course then everybody was chiming in on what this could mean. Ranging from sexual abuse to the beginning of the next Ted Bundy!!

After getting my giggles under control, I asked very calmly “What did you ask him to draw?” The teacher – the one that had the sexual abuse on her brain. Said “Well, I asked all of the students to draw a picture of them selves, with all of their parts. By this age he should be drawing his own image with fingers and toes.” Her look really went off the charts when I burst into a laughing fit. I couldn’t help it. Again the tribunal of brains started all talking again at the same time. “I don’t think you realize the importance of this drawing!”, “He is drawing SEXUAL organs”, “Are you sure he isn’t being sexually molested?” That one took the laughter right out of me.

Standing up I took the drawing and walked out to see my son – stop me if you want, but it will be a fight YOU won’t win – I took the picture to Peter and asked him what he had drawn. He looked up from another juice box, he could really slurp them down, and said “My boy parts.” EXACTLY he was doing what the teacher asked him. NOT being sexual in any way. When he got to the age that he noticed that something was down there, he couldn’t pronounce penis so we told him that it was his BOY PARTS. The part that made him a boy instead of a girl. If the teacher had said to draw him self with all the parts….she got what she asked for. I was never so mad in all my life. I decided that maybe a daycare would be better for him than “Early Childhood Education” I got a written apology from the Director person but it really just mad me even more angry. I retuned the note saying that if the TEACHER had said “fingers and toes” She would have gotten a whole different picture.  The teacher needs to learn how to teach. Before she can cast blame on anybody else. Sorry that story always makes me angry.