"'Splode the School": Preschool Deliquents

Big Bro started preschool last fall. He is always reluctant to go. "Is today a school day?" he asks. If the answer is no he shouts "Yay!" If the answer is yes he cries "Nooo!" and flops to the floor and whines. He alternates between saying he doesn't like school, and saying he had an awesome dream about school and now he does like it.

All the reports from his teachers are that he has a good time while he is there. He participates and he has a best friend he talks about. We even went to her house for a playdate.

The social part is the hardest part for him and that's why I want him to go to preschool both when he is 3 and again next year when he is 4. He will benefit from having more time to work on the social piece. He can be rather shy. He likes staying home. He thinks the school day is long. He misses me while he is there. He likes playing with adults who will play how he wants them to play, rather than having to deal with other kids with their own ideas about how to play.

Lately he has been talking about more of his classmates, which seemed like a good sign. However, yesterday he talked about a boy named "John."  "John" told Big Bro that he "wishes he had something to 'splode the school and make the teacher sick."

Big Bro told me the story of what "John" said and sounded very excited by it. I replied by telling him it's not a nice thing to say, we don't talk like that, and we like his teachers (because he does!).

Then Nini came to visit that afternoon and he told her the same story. She reinforced the same message I had told him. Then Grandma visited and he repeated it yet again. Once again the message that we don't talk that way was reinforced.

How does a preschool aged boy even know such malicious thoughts? Why is he saying this in school?

Why is my son so attracted to this preschool delinquent?


Big Bro told me that he wants to play at "John's" house sometime. I told him no because I don't like the way "John" talks.

I am pretty sure that "John" is 4 so will be moving on to kindergarten next year, whereas Big Bro will have a another year of preschool. I know for a fact that "John" will be going to kindergarten in a neighboring town. Thank goodness. I will be glad to be done with him.

I know I can't shelter my son from bad behaviors and influences forever. All I can do is instill him with good values and trust that he will be able to use them and resist falling in with the "Johns" of the world.