More on Em

As it turns out, my fears weren't unfounded. Emily woke up this morning, said she had a stomachache and did not want to go to school. I explained to her that if she stayed home, that it would mean that she would be spending the day on the couch, or in her bed...not playing and going outside. I told her that since Katie and I weren't sick that we would be able to play etc. I knew that she wasn't really sick and I wanted to make her understand that if you stay home from school it's becuase you are so sick that you can't even imagine doing anything else aside from just lying around. She admitted to me that she really wasn't sick, that she just wanted to stay home. She said she wanted to stay home because her day is too long and that she wanted to spend time with me. She once said that she thought school was boring. I told her that when she came home we could spend some time together. Her response, "No we can't because you have to cook dinner and go to work." Which, of course is true. And I feel horribly guilty about that. This is so hard. I explained to her that I understood how her day was long and that I missed her while she was gone too...but that school was very important. I told her that Mama and Daddy went to school everyday when they were little and that's how we got so smart(it's true you know!). I told her that we would do something special together on Saturday...just her and I. I wasn't using it as a bribe, I just wanted her to know that I was interested in spending time with her too. I left the decision up to her...go to school and learn or sit home and do nothing. Wisely, she chose school and I told her that I was very proud of her for making that decision.

This is just so...weird. I know that preschool and kindergarten are a completely different story than 1st grade, but Emily has always been so enthusiastic about school. She loved going. She told me with a little sadness and anger in her voice that recess was the only time that she got to play in 1st grade. I don't think she likes the structure involved with sitting in a classroom all day. I just don't know what to do about it.

I have often wondered if she may have attention deficit disorder. She is not hyperactive but I sometimes think that she feels trapped when she is put in a situation where she has to stay still, pay attention etc. She is also brilliant...seriously smart beyond her years. She retains just about anything that she is shown or told and remembers virtually everything. I wonder if she gets bored with what is going on at school. Even trying to picture her sitting down at a desk and paying attention for longer than an hour is hard to imagine.

I am going to give it a little more time, then I might think about calling her teacher or the school adjustment counselor to get their opinion. I won't wait too much longer though...it's important to get this straightened out as soon as possible.