The Lost Pencil
Tuesday, October 9th, 2007“You lost your pencil again?”- I have said this couple of times already.
Since 3rdy went to school in June, I can not count anymore how many pencils we have invested and how many are gone now.
This little kindergarten boy seems to have yet to develop his sense of responsibility over his school supplies. I have been reminding him over and over again to check his things before stepping out of the classroom. But no! When the bell rings, all he does is pack up his things, shoot everything into his bag, fall in line and wait for his teacher to open the door.
So now when I pick him up, I check his bag right away to see what else he had lost on that day so I can ask their aide to check the room. I get a sigh of relief when everything is there, at least, I don’t have to shell out again.
I get the joy of motherhood when I check his bag – empty box of Chuckie, biscuit wrapper, towel, broken crayons - sometimes ‘generic’ (that’s what we call it when he removes the labels which he is fond of), books, notebooks, the drawing pad and his scribbles, and that little cartoon character scented eraser that he just keeps in his pencil box because he likes it and ‘sayang daw’ if he will use it.
Ok, he is four now and what can you expect? He is four and truly adorable - not because I am the mother but he really is).
Well, I admit I get fuming mad when he loses his pencil, but hey, it’s just a pencil.
I just couldn’t imagine how mad mamay was when I came home crying one day in 1978 when I was in kindergarten because I lost my bag and everything in it. Yes, not just the pencil but the whole bag!
For the next one week I went to school with nothing because mamay did not allow me to bring my new supplies to school yet. That, to me, served as a lesson to take care of my things no matter how small – in my case, no matter how big.
3rdy knew the whole story because mamay told him.
So when I scold him about the pencils he had lost, he would reciprocate and remind me about that 1978 incident.
So what is a lost pencil compared to losing the entire bag? My little boy is truly adorable.
So who is less responsible now? Ask me but don’t make me feel guilty.
