When All Else Fails…Tell The Truth

Since school started in September we’ve been driving past the same crossing guard four mornings a week on our way to my son’s school.  About a month ago my son decided he was going to start waving good morning to this man on our way to nursery school.  So I’m driving my bright-eyed, excited, 4 1/2 year old waving and shouting “Good morning” through my mini-van window and to my surprise he received absolutely NO response.  Nicholas turned to me and grumbled, “Mommy he didn’t wave back to me.”  I thought fast and replied, “Well maybe he didn’t see you today, you can try again tomorrow.”

After days and weeks went by with no waves being returned I was out of diplomatic responses.  I had already used up…

“Maybe his glasses are so dark that he couldn’t see you.”

“Maybe he was too cold to lift his arm.”

“Maybe he was too busy talking on his phone.”

What I ReAlLy wanted to say was, “Maybe he’s just not a nice person and can’t take two seconds to wave back to a 4 year old!”

OK Robyn…deep breath and pull it together!

I finally decided that instead of making up silly excuses for this man who I don’t even know, I was going to be honest with Nicholas.  On the next drive to school when the crossing guard didn’t wave back to Nicholas, I didn’t make up my usual white lie.  Instead I explained that there are all different kinds of people in the world with lots of different personalities just like the seven dwarfs in Snow White.  I told him that he was like the dwarf named Happy and the crossing guard was like the dwarf name Grumpy.  Nicholas started naming all of the other dwarfs and we talked more about different kinds of people.  I told Nicholas that it made me happy that he wanted to wave good morning to a stranger even if that person didn’t wave back in return and that I hope he stays as friendly as he is now….AlWaYs.