Them Be Fighting Words

I volunteer once a week at the elementary school reading to kindergarten kids one-on-one. So, I have two kids who I read with for 20 minutes each. My first kid, Colin, is sweet. He's quiet, doesn't cause trouble, listens to whatever I'm reading. Occasionally, he's almost too quiet. But he's smart. He can read easy books to me if he feels like it. His quiet nature is endearing...and I think I used to be like him when I was a kid.

My second kid, on the other hand, is a little girl named Eris. She's a character. She can't read yet, or if she can, she's not letting me know about it. And when I read to her, she'd much rather just look at the pictures. She interrupts me in mid-sentence. She laughs at a silly picture, but won't have any recollection of what the story is actually about. She's a cute little girl...but she's exhausting to work with sometimes.

Today, for example, Eris and I were reading a book that we've read almost every week for the past 6 weeks. It's a funny little book about a woman and her overgrown squash. We're half way through the story when she says, "Who's Nelly?"Nelly is the main character of the book. So, I respond, "Who do you think Nelly is?" Her reply..."the cat?"

Sigh.

So, we're finished reading, and I was asking her about the ring she was wearing.

Me: Where'd you get it?
Eris: Uhhh...Macy's
Me: Oh! I work there.
Eris gives me the dirtiest look a five-year-old can make.
Shannon (another volunteer): You just got snubbed by a five-year-old.

Thanks, Eris. There's something about judgmental children. It's like their innocence makes the ridicule feel that much worse. It was difficult not to resort to a five-year-old way of thinking the minute the dirty look crossed her face. To not come up with some stuck-on-the-playground reply, more innocent "you're momma joke" to throw back in at her. I bit my tongue.

I mean, the whole thing was kind of funny. But still...she's 5. That judgment had to come from somewhere. Where did she get it?