I haven't mentioned it much here but Turner is a big talker. He talks in full sentences, and has just so much to say. He is very specific in his choice of words and can be, at times, demanding. He commands your attention by both the look in his eye and, when necessary, by grabbing your chin and pulling it towards him. He is not much of a parrot, one who repeats what you say, in fact he prefers not to be told what to say nor when to say it. Instead, he speaks his mind, his thoughts. He sings a variety of songs all day long, asks for what he wants, and when necessary, he makes sure his voice is heard.
With this being said, however, it should be known he also has a tendency to get shy. Around women. A pretty girl is a reason for him to close his mouth, and throw on the charm. Batted eyelashes, flashed dimples, puppy dog eyes, and a contagious smile all replace his extensive vocabulary when a lady is near. We used to think it was just one girl, (who he definitely still crushes,) but we are finding that Turner becomes quite coy in front of most ladies. Most pretty ladies. Aunt Amy is a lady. Kate's mom is a lady. Aunt Carri is a lady. And, it seems, Miss Barbara is a lady. Because, he may love school. And, he may love to talk but he has yet to talk to Miss Barbara. He charms her, like he does other girls, but he won't talk.
Yesterday, we had his school conference. This is what we learned about our boy:
He is charming. He has a fantastic smile. He is friendly, and personable, and loves art and cooking. He has well-developed gross and fine motor skills and is a cooperative and well-behaved little boy. He can build with blocks at least 5 high, and much to my surprise, he doesn't dump. Containers. This is not the case at home, but at least he caters to Miss Barbara's self-proclaimed OCD. She didn't assess it, but Turner has a bit of that as well.
 |
| Climbing high without assistance |
He is the one to watch on the playground because he can climb any structure (as seen in this picture,) he can climb the stairs without assistance, one step at a time. He can do puzzles, hold the pencil the right way, and, in learning something new about Turner, he seems to have a strong sense of compassion for the other kids in his class. This does make me proud. Does Turner know his colors? His shapes? His letters? That was unable to be assessed because when Miss Barbara asked he grinned and laughed quietly, and made her do so as well, but there was no way he was answering those questions.
I asked his teacher if we should be concerned (though my gut knew we should not be!) I asked if she thought he had selective mutism, which I would not even think was a real thing if I did not know a child with that diagnosis. She answered, as I expected, "of course not!" She has heard him talk, just not to her. He talks to his peers, he talks (a little) to the other teachers, he talks within the school building. He just does not talk to Miss Barbara.
Todd and I decided to talk to Turner about this. We reminded him how much she loved him, how much he loved school. We asked him why he does not talk to Miss Barbara and, smiling, he said "'cause!" We told him we really wanted him to talk to her that it would make her, and us, so happy. Then we dropped it for a bit.
A while later, and seemingly out of nowhere, Turner said (loudly, I may add) "mama, I talk to Miss Barbara!"
Surprised I responded, "You will, Turner?"
Grinning and happy he said, "yes!"
I asked, "Turner, what will you say to her?"
Grinning more, he paused and then said, "Hi, you are pretty!!"
I don't think Van Halen had toddlers in mind when they wrote Hot For Teacher!
No comments:
Post a Comment