OT/PT

Part of Owen’s schedule now includes OT & PT (Occupational Therapy & Physical Therapy). These therapies were just introduced into his schedule a few weeks ago and he hadn’t mentioned them or his new teacher. (The difference between Owen & Brooklynn in all areas is vast but this area especially. Without asking, I get a dissertation on Brooklynn’s day, the games she played at PE, who won them, what she did at center time, the whole she-bang; Owen gets a new teacher, I have to ask specific questions, like “did you go to Mrs. Hulsey’s class on Wednesday this week?” If he went to her class on Tuesday not Wednesday, his answer would simply be “no”. ahhh….)

Anyway, I asked Owen, “What do you do in Mrs. Hulsey’s class?” Our conversation went like this….

Owen: “Her class is next to Mrs. Halmicheck’s class” (not the answer to my question….)
Me: “Really Owen, is that in the First grade hallway?”
Owen: “Yes, you should email Mrs. Halmicheck, mom”
Me: “Why Owen, is she one of your teachers?”
Owen: “No, she’s a first grade teacher, she’s nice.” (okay….)
Me: “What do you do in Mrs. Hulsey’s class?” (bringing it back to my topic)
Owen: “It’s called OT, occasional therapy and some PT, personal therapy. She sometimes even pushes me on a swing, she’s really nice” (It was hard not to laugh, it was such an adorable mistake; and me being me, I had to correct him)
Me: “Owen, OT actually stands for occupational therapy and PT stands for physical therapy. Did she tell you why you are in her class?”
Owen: “No” (if she didn’t tell him why, I figured there was a reason, so I didn’t either)
Me: “Does she come get you for class or do you walk to her class?”
Owen: “It varies, sometimes she comes and gets me; sometimes I walk by myself to her classroom.” (he talks like a grown up)
Me: “When do you go to her class?”
Owen: “Wednesdays & Fridays.”
Me: “In the morning or the afternoon?”
Owen: “Well, on Wednesdays, it is ten minutes after our first center, it’s really late morning.”

Ahhh, this whole conversation took place with him never looking at me, him scrunched up, with his knees to his chest, his shirt pulled over his knees. It really is a lot of work to get a little bit of information. I would have gotten twice the amount of information from Brooklynn with just saying “Hi”; it’s totally worth the work. The value of knowing what your child is doing when they aren’t with you is priceless, and having them know that you want to know, even more valuable.