From hero to zero

Yesterday was the hero bit, today was the zero. 

Hero

I've been one of three TAs running our school's first set of Lego Therapy courses. We call it Lego Friends because therapy sounds so awful! 

It's an hour a session. It's very structured and it's a scheme to help children learn how to become more confident in social situations really. It's a really safe environment for them and it's just absolutely brilliant! Three children, three adults is how we have done it for KS1 and three children two adults for KS2. 

Well yesterday was the last session for both of our groups. The children expressed their sadness at the news! They've really loved coming. One KS2 person told me that it really was the best 8 weeks of their whole life, their happiest 8 weeks in any school ever. I was almost bawling! I told them that I was proud of them and that it'd been a privilege to have worked with them for 8 weeks! My fellow TAs were equally as moved and it reminds based me why I absolutely love doing what I do and that I DO make a difference! 

Quickly drag that needle across a record 

Zero

Today on playground duty

 Child approaches me in tears 

Said child finds playing with peers difficult, is a bully, is rough and the peers just avoid at all costs. Said child is also spoilt and dictates things at home. 

Child: waaaaaaaahhhhhh

Me: ( concerned ) what's the matter??

Child: I'm playing tig and they ( points aggressively towards another child in the same class ) always tigs me first. And it's not faaaaiiiirrrrr. 

 Please bear in mind that I've had this conversation with this child and the peers 28976543  times. Also bear in mind every. Single. Staff. Member. On. Duty. Ever. has had the same conversations. 

What happens is child X plays tig, gets tug and then won't acknowledge it and won't be on. The others get sick of this deliberate flouting of tig rules. I tell them if child X is not conforming, don't include them in the game, don't chase, don't tig, ignore. I tell child X to find someone else/another game to play. In fact tig has been banned a trillion times over! 

So this is how it panned out. 

Me: well, like I said yesterday and last week, if you don't like it, don't play it. 

Child : But they keep tigging me first. Everytime. 

Me: if you don't like it, don't play it

Child: but I want to play

Me: well just be on then. Accept you've been tug and move on

But it's not fair, they ( child Y ) always go for me

Me: right if Child Y is on, sit this game out then join back in at the start of a new game

Child: but I wanna plaaayyyyy

Me: well off you go then 

Child: but Child Y always gets me first

Me: ( getting MIGHTILY PISSED OFF NOW yet speaking softly ) I'm not going to go and tell Child Y who to tig and who not to. Have you asked them to give you a chance? 

Child: no but I'm always first to be tug? 

My colleague: why do you think that it is child? 

Me ( thinking : it's because you are the slowest and they don't like you because you hurt them ) 

If you don't like it don't play it. 

Child: I wanna play but Child Y always tigs me first. 

Me: what do you want me to do? I'm not going to tell Child Y off. If they are on they  can tig who they want. Look ( points to child Y chasing Child Z)  child Z has just been tug and is laughing, they've not come crying to me about it. 

Child : stamps away from me, face screwed up in a temper. Walks towards the bin, yells I HATE you and boots the bin over. Before I have time to react, runs to go in ( and hide in the cloakroom probably ) stops at the door and screams 

F*** OFF at me. 

Quite simply charming eh?! 

Lots of love from 

Rachel *Im afraid you won't get your own way with me* Radiostar xxx