My Pride and Joy: Gotta be my friend

My Pride and Joy : Gotta be my friend

Beep! Beep! 

The school service is here, school has finally ended and Nikki, my pretty 5 year old, with her cute pigtails and radiant smile, came through the gate as I opened it, almost knocking me down with her embrace. 

"Hey Mom, I have a surprise for you! Look! I've got two stars!" 

"Good job my princess! Now, say goodbye to the driver and your friends so we can go inside." I carried her bag and opened the door while I waited for my daughter to follow me. 

"Bye! See you tomorrow!", she shouted, and was answered by much louder shouts of goodbyes from her friends.

I led my daughter inside the room, attending to her everyday needs right after school - changing her clothes, wiping her face and back and putting away her school things. 

We washed hands together and went to the dining room for lunch. As she sat down, she began recounting her day while I fill her plate with food. 

"You know the two stars I got Mom? That's from my teacher because she said I can now read our story. The..hmm, cat, ah no, Pat's Cat! I read it all by myself! Look at my stars! She said I'm very good!" 

"I'm so happy for you princess. I know that you've been a really good girl. Why don't you read your story to me later? And also to Daddy when he gets home. I bet you'll have a surprise coming soon!" 

"Really Mom! Wow! I want a princess book, princess dress, princess movie..." 

"Opps! One at a time princess, we'll decide when Daddy is here, okay? Now time to eat, look, it's your favorite, fried fish and egg. Eat up, and remember, no talking when your mouth is full." 

"Mom, can I have soy sauce?" 

We began eating, accompanied by talks and stories in between bites. I let her tell me her day, when something she said caught my attention. 

"Wait up. What did you say? Your classmate grabbed your toy and pushed you? What did your teacher do?" 

"His name is Matty, and he looks older than us. He also does not talk very much and kept on clapping his hands. I was playing with the blocks when he grabbed them from me. When I tried to get it back, he pushed me then I cried." 

"What!! Why did you let him push you? You should have called your teacher!" 

"It's okay Mom, teacher hugged me after and she told me to share toys with Matty, then he called him to say sorry and we hugged also. Teacher said we are friends and friends do not fight or hurt each other." 

" What about that Matty? What did your teacher do to him?" 

"She put him in the corner table and talked to him. Teacher also gave him the shape sorter and he played by himself. He was laughing and clapping while playing. I went to his place and gave him the blocks I was playing with. He smiled but did not look at me. I think he was happy." 

"Is Matty your friend?" 

"Yes Mom, he is gotta be my friend, all my classmates are. You told me to be friends with everyone, even if they are not nice sometimes." 

I smiled at my daughter's attitude, and thought, we surely are raising her well. 

"You know Mom, some of my classmates are laughing when Matty shouts or claps his hands. They are not playing and sharing their toys also with him, that's why he pushes them sometimes. Me, I always share my toys to him." 

"How about today?" I looked at her pointedly. 

"Aww Mom! The blocks are our new toy, they are in color red and yellow, you know, my favorite colors. That's why I wanted to play with them first."