Today I made a nine year old cry for half an hour.
She had been dobbing on people all day for stupid little things that didn't matter. After the 5th time I pulled her aside and quietly told her it was bad form. After the 10th time, when she had interupted our class story by dobbing on a boy for putting his hand up at the wrong time, I blasted her. Told her that it was nasty to try to get her classmates into trouble. This time she was in no doubt that I was unimpressed - and with her, not with the kid she was dobbing on.
Her sobbing started quietly and kept on going for a long time. But you can't cry and tell tales at the same time. And given the choice, I'd take the crying.
Were all her complaints for things that she simply didn't like in others rather than actual misdemeanours? And isn't is kind of ironic that she, I assume, put up her hand at the "wrong" time to tell on someone else for the same offence?
ReplyDeleteI wonder what's going on in her life (at home or with her peer group) that she is so driven to seek attention that she would continue with this behaviour, even after you'd told her off.
You've taught her a good life lesson though.
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