The Letter S

When I picked KZ up from school last Friday, her teacher told me that she was very upset while trying to work on her letter S.  Each week they focus on one letter, and last week it was S.  She was upset because it was just one long, curvy line.  She couldn't stop with the S, like with an R, which is three different strokes.  She just didn't think it looked good enough.

All weekend, she worked on her S.

"Mommy, let's work on S's,"  she would say.

But as we worked on them, she would get so frustrated that she would crumble up the paper, or even take her scissors and cut it up.  But then she would come back to it.  The S's were not going to win.

We've not had any issues with other letters so far.  I honestly didn't even know if she was paying any attention to her letters, until I asked her teachers.

"Oh yes, she really works on them and does well," they told me.

The S was her first test. 

At her low point, she just broke down and cried.  Big alligator tears ran down her face.  Her face was red and she couldn't talk. 

"Honey, Mommy and Daddy have made a lot of S's in our lives.  Don't worry, you'll get there.  Your S's are beautiful," I told her.

"No, they need to be better!" she choked out through her tears.

I felt like a jerk.  I want her to work hard but I don't want her making herself sick.

On Tuesday morning, before leaving for school, she wanted to work on her S's again.  She stayed very focused.  Et voila, a beautiful S. 

"Great job!" I said.

"Yeah, I did it!" she said as she danced around the apartment.

"Let's call Grandma and tell her," I said.

"No, they aren't that good yet," she said.

Ugh ... ok, but she was really trying and working hard on them.

On Wednesday morning, before school, she worked on her S's again.  This time she was pleased.

"We can call Grandma now.  My S's are good enough," she said.

This week, the letter is T.  We've had no T issues.  She has, however, pointed out every T she's seen on the way home, especially the ones on all the Catholic churches.