Un-Tom

In my daughter’s classroom, each child shares something every week.  Sometimes they have an assigned topic but mostly, they just talk about whatever they want and can bring things in to share.  I got a phone call from the teacher today about my daughter’s sharing. 

As soon as I saw the school’s number, I knew why they were calling.  Munchkin and I talked about this last night and she was determined to share her story about my sister’s cat.  I tried to explain that some students might not understand and she couldn’t understand why they wouldn’t understand.  To her, it was simple and true.  I had misgivings…but she was stubborn and the sharing is supposed to be about what they want to tell.  She was so proud that she helped Auntie with the training by manning the water gun.  So I helped her find pictures and sent her in.

What was the story?  One of my sister’s tom cats was a serious bit of trouble and he was spraying urine everywhere in her apartment.  She tried lots of different things but eventually, the decision was made to get him snipped.  After that, they still had to work to get him not to spray and now he’s doing much better and my sister’s apartment smells good. 

Except, you have to know my daughter. Or maybe just 7-year-olds.  Everything is dramatic.  “and no matter what Aunt….. tried, he just wouldn’t stop spraying urine on the walls and it was yuck! So she took him to the cat doctor and the vet chopped off Rascal’s testicles.  That’s supposed to make him a better pet and he is nicer now and only urinates in the litter box.”  Her presentation was completed by three photos of the back end of Rascal, pre-surgery, the day after surgery, and all healed up. 

The sharing is supposed to encourage good public speaking habits and to show the diversity of the people in the classroom. It does and I bet it also shows a wide-range of parenting styles as well.  Some will be distinctly unhappy but I just don’t care.  I told the teacher so too.  Sheltering kids too much does them no good.  They should be glad that I vetoed the very graphic birth pictures of the kittens sired by the tom before his snipping.