Preview?

When I was pregnant with my daughter, people told me two lies (people are big fan of these, lies I mean, when you're pregnant. ) Maybe "lie" is too harsh of word; maybe fantasy-related statement would be more apt.

Nonetheless, people would say two things when they found out I was having a girl: 1) Your girl will NEVER be like the teenage girls you teach, and 2) At least you know what you are getting into, which I interpret to mean: "You work with teenage girls all day so you should be an expert."

Not only am I not an expert dealing with teenage girls (on the whole, I find teenage boys much less complicated and generally more fun), but I can attest to the fact that knowing what you are getting into as the mom of a girl is cold comfort.

Just the other day, I sent a girl outside for swearing at me in frustration. Granted, she had reason to be frustrated, but swearing is a deal breaker in my class room. I step outside after she's been cooling her heels (quite literally in this weather) for a couple minutes, expecting an apology or at least an excuse. No. Instead I get "Ms H, let's deal with this like two adults."

I actually looked around for the other adult, realized she was referring to herself, and laughed the whole time I wrote her referral. Bless her little heart...