Don’t get me wrong, I like Ms. Jordan. I think she’s an excellent teacher. At the beginning of the year when she had over 20 five- and six-year-olds to deal with everyday, well, I think she deserves a round of applause for her patience. However, lately, I have noticed that when Tyler talks about her I can feel the green monster of jealousy rearing his big ugly head.
I had read that this might happen. Until Tyler started school, I was his whole world. The words I uttered were golden. Now it’s, “Ms. Jordan said this, Ms. Jordan said that, blah, blah, blah.” I didn’t realize I was jealous until the other day Tyler was going on about something that Ms. Jordan said. Before I knew it, I screamed, “I don’t want to hear anymore about what Ms. Jordan said!” Then Tyler threw his words at me like a hot potato, “I thought you liked Ms. Jordan.” Ouch!
If you have not experienced this type of jealousy, at some point you probably will. Your kids spend a lot of time with their teachers, especially during the elementary school years when they are with the same teachers all day. When they talk about their teachers with affection, don’t take it personally. It’s actually a good sign. I guess I would rather have Tyler like, respect his teacher, and look forward to going to school than to have to drag him to school each day or have him talk disdainfully about his teacher.
This incident has made me think about some of my own teachers who I admired. I recall my very first teacher Ms. Kimball, my first grade teacher, the woman who first sparked my interest in the written word. And I recall Mr. Martin, my 12th grade English teacher, who was the first person to tell me that I had the potential to be a great writer (I actually laughed at him when he said that. It would take me almost 15 years before I decided that being a writer was my mission in life.) These were just two of the teachers that I admired and probably spoke of often. Was my mother jealous of them?
So, now I have to learn to deal with what will probably be many years of jealousy. I have realized that no matter how much I complain about Tyler clinging to me, or never having any “me” time, the fact is I guess I feel a little threatened by his attention toward another adult.
Has anyone else experienced jealousy toward your child’s teacher or another adult?
See also:
Can You Describe The Perfect Teacher?
What If You Hate Your Child’s Teacher?
Should You Request A Teacher For Your Child?