My sweet boy

I love this little boy. He is SO good. He works hard at school and tries really hard to be a good boy. This year, he was so persistent about riding the schoolbus home. He really really wanted to, so we gave it a try. It was going REALLY well! Charles and Annabelle loved getting out for a bike ride/ stroll to go and pick him up every afternoon, and it was so convenient for us- not having to get everyone in the car and drive over to the school and wait in the massive line of cars for a half hour every day. I had my concerns, however. I worried that the older kids on the bus would give him a hard time, or be a bad influence on him. The problem is, I have a hard time knowing when I'm being rational, and when I'm being over protective!

One thing I really stress with Dillon, is that he tell me everything that goes on each day. I figure its pretty important to start communicating now, while he's so little, and hope that it just becomes natural and easy for him to talk to me.

Well, like I said, it was going well. He had told me about one of the older boys who frequently asked him if he had any snacks and once asked him to bring him an apple the next day for the bus ride. I told Dillon that the boy could ask his parents for an apple, and that he shouldn't be bringing food for other kids at school anyway, because you never know if one of them might be allergic. Yada yada yada..

OK, so a few weeks ago after dinner, I could tell Dillon wanted to tell me something. James took the other kids upstairs to get them ready for bed and as soon as they left the room Dillon said,

"Mom, there's this boy who comes and sits by me on the bus every day. It doesn't matter where I sit, he will come and sit by me."

Me-

"Is he bothering you?"

"Well, he's my friend, but he tries to get me to say bad words."

"What bad words?" I'm thinking maybe crap or butt or something like that maybe....

His head hung and his eyes waited for my reaction- a look of shame and apprehension on his face. Barely audible, he said-

"F_ _ _"

!!!!!!!!!!!

Dead silence as the tears well in my eyes. Needless to say, he hasn't ridden the bus in a while. Finally this week, after several office visits and phone calls, I feel like the issue is resolved, but I will never get the gut wrenching memory of hearing my sweet boy- my GOOD boy at the innocent age of SIX saying that awful horrible word. It tears me up inside. I can't help but want to protect him from the awful things that people say and do in this nasty world. At this age, he truly has faith in his parents, in his teachers and in God. He truly wants to be a happy, successful and intelligent. He sees that the world can be unkind and unfair, but knows that he is safe here at home. I hope, I hope I hope I hope and pray that we can hold on to that- FOR ALL THE KIDS- as long as possible.