Growing Pains...

So - first grade is proving to be tough. Not academically so much, but all the "other stuff" we as parents come to believe is the hardest to navigate our way through. At this house (and at many of our friends' homes), we are starting to see the emergence of sarcasm (not from me this time), really POKEY morning routines, and the drama of the "BFF." (Best Friends Forever for you folks that are long past this stage - or just haven't gotten there yet).

The BFF saga plays out something like this. Each week (or other randomly determined day), girls (yes, mainly only girls because boys don't seem to need this sort of drama) decide on some arbitrary criteria and pair up to be BFF. Inevitably, some girls are not happy with the selections or are left out, etc. Of course, these pairings are short lived - which leads to a whole other sort of despair ("She isn't my BFF anymore - which translates into "She isn't my friend anymore." Ugh. This sort of thing is new to Emma - as she has always had a good selection of neighborhood kids to play with and even with the older kids, there just wasn't that sort of stuff. We are working through it but what I am learning is - even the small things can be painful to watch if it is your child being hurt (even if you are certain it is good for them). For me, it is a bit like reliving high school -but only having the tools of a six year old.

It is a bit of a cruel paradox. One moment, she is reading chapter books and working out math problems like this "At 7:00, Gina's mom told her she had 45 minutes to get ready. Draw on the clock the time that Gina has to be ready." So grown up and sophisticated. It is tough to remember she still wants someone to sit by her at lunch.

Yesterday, I called my friend for advice on the BFF issue and I just wanted to rush through this little "phase" that is certainly not unique to us. Then before bed, a discussion on names came up (a few new kids in the class have "cool names"), and she said - "Well, you know Mom - Savage is only temporary. It is only my maiden name." Yep. Lots of things are only temporary. Let's enjoy all those fleeting moments. Even if we have to lean on our BFFs for help...