Gripe

Yesterday I walked into work and one of my Kindergarten students ran up to me and hugged me around the waist. While this is not an uncommon occurrence, as most days I am hugged by someone waist-high, I was a little shocked to see who was hugging me.  This boy, a student, is one I struggle with most days.

Right after hugging me he tilted his head up toward mine and said without prompt, "Hey. My mama says that if you have a gripe about my lunch today that you should give her a call."

Right.

I look over to see my boss standing a few feet away from me and I look down to this still attached student and say, "That's silly.  Why don't you come over here and tell Ms. D. what you just told me."  I give the student a big grin.  He jovially agrees and runs over to Ms. D. and repeats the offensive sentence to her dismay, as she had a discussion of appropriate lunch items only the day before with his Dad.

The previous day, this particular student had brought for his lunch a: bottle of chocolate milk (approx. 80 grams of sugar), a bag of colored mini marshmallows, and a jelly sandwich on white bread. Our school follows state standards, and each child must have 2 fruits and veggie servings, 1 bread or grain carb serving, 1 dairy serving, and 1 protein serving.

Later yesterday I walked the children into the lunchroom and this same student while unpacking his lunch decided to wear his brown paper sack as a hat.  The entire lunchroom waited until he removed the bag to say the lunch prayer, and he got so mad at me that I made him remove his hat, that he refused to eat.  He did not eat one morsel of food.  That and he had healthier lunch components.

It was a long day.