I Let Papa Go

Wolfie's first grade orientation was tonight.  We realized yesterday that this is for parents only.  Oh, right, no kids allowed.  I don't know what Gabe or I pictured.  The two of us sitting closely side by side with our three children on our laps; a pyramid of attentiveness as Wolfie's first grade talked about curriculum?  It was too late to find a babysitter.

You'd think I'd be all over this first grade orientation night, being a teacher myself and all.  Yes!  I was excited about this.  School, it's my thing.

But this week I realized that in my marriage, my partnership, I'm a leg up on the school thing.

For instance, when Wolfie told us at dinner this week that all the kids in his class have cards and his was green at the end of the day (but one classmate's was yellow) I immediately knew it was the green, yellow, red behavior model.  Everyone starts off green, but if someone gets a warning for a poor choice, that child is to change his or her card to yellow.  Another infraction - it's red for you kiddo and if you look right over there, there is a visual reminder.  Let's do better tomorrow.  I learned about this technique in college, used a variation of it myself.  Gabe, however, was fascinated.  "What is this?  How does it work?" and I was struck by how even though all of this parenting a child in school (newborn babies, Gabe and I have it down) is new to us both, it is just a bit newer to my husband.

I said, "Gabe, do you want to go to Orientation?" 
"I just assumed you would go; it's your thing."
"Uh huh.  But do you want to go?"

Papa went to orientation.  And now I need to wrap up this post because my husband just asked me if we could go over the papers he received tonight.  Apparently some handbook and other papers we need to sign.  He's a leg up on me.

Sometimes you have to let someone else have something in order to be even.  It's only fair.