Simultaneously proud and disturbed

Helen has shown that she can hang with the big kids. If she feels she has been wronged, she'll scream almost the second the perceived wrongdoing has occurred, lest anyone be able to pull anything over on her. On Thursday, however, she showed a new level of determination when we were at an indoor play area.

There were very few children there, so everyone seemed to be able to do exactly what they wanted. Connor was gathering up all the hula hoops and dragging them around the room. Others were climbing under or over objects. And Helen was sitting inside this little treehouse. A child about Helen's age (but about twice her size) came into her area, and he pushed her, and she fell down and conked her head. And this apparently upset Miss Helen, and she decided to send him a message. Hidden from everyone's view but mine, she looked right at that big kid, stood up and steadied herself, and then leaned her shoulder into him and BIT HIS HAND!

He knew he had it coming, I guess, because all he did was pull his hand back, stare at it, let his bottom lip quiver a bit. Then he went to the other side of the room.

Helen looked satisfied.

Her point was made.

And every time she went near him for the remainder of the play session, he took off for the opposite end of the room.

Hey big kid - don't mess with the littlest person in the room. You might get a big surprise!

(As funny as I think this exchange was, I am also mortified because every class I ever taught when I taught pre-school had a biter and I fear very much that I may soon be the parent of the biter in the class!)

Elaine