Spitfire Diabetic returned to school today after being gone four of the five days last week. Her mom had taken her to her grandma's in another state (because that makes more sense than waiting until spring break in two weeks). After lunch, as always, she came to my office for her insulin. We did our routine, but I knew something was up when she then asked to stay in my office during recess, because "recess is boring." I obliged, telling her she would have to watch me eat my lunch. We critiqued my sloppily made peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and she grabbed a paper and pencil to occupy her hands while she started talking. Changing topics, she asked if she could tell me something that I wasn't going to be allowed to tell other people. I said sure, keeping my mandated reporter status to myself, and kept munching on my sandwich. She explained, "My aunt is pregnant and it's a bad thing." I asked if her aunt was too young for a baby, and she said, "No, but her boyfriend is in prison." I agreed that didn't sound like a good situation, and kept eating, until she interrupted with, "There's something else I really want to tell you but I shouldn't." I reassured her that I wouldn't say anything (except of course on my blog), and soon enough, she provided some more details: "It's bad that my aunt is pregnant because she's having a girl. Her boyfriend can't be around her...Do you see where I'm going with this?" Totally tuned in now, I said yes, but suggested she tell me just so I'd be sure we're both on the same page. "Her boyfriend is a rapist, he can't be around girls, he has a restraining order out on him." [Yes I made sure she's never been around him herself.]
This is a nine year old telling me all this. :( It's terrible she knows this stuff, and whether or not it's all true - she's been known to exaggerate - she knows enough to talk like this.
Side notes: First, those "3" and "E" looking things at the top of her picture are birds; the bell rang and she had run out of time. Second, today confirmed what I've suspected for some time: give a kid paper and pencil, and it will get them talking.
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Absolutely heartbreaking :(
ReplyDeleteWhen my own kids were pre-teens they came home one day telling me about their friend who had sister-cousins. I had to have them explain. Turns out dad had children with his wife, then had an affair with her sister, also producing children. Hence, sister-cousins.
Was way more knowledge than I *ever* wanted to have about the world.
Now -- as a speech therapist -- totally agree on the "give a kid paper and pencil, and it will get them talking" -- I'm always amazed at the conversations I've had with even kids who are on the severe end of the autism spectrum. They *do* listen, observe, absorb -- just not always what you think! LOL!
*hugs* Thanks for all you do!