When I was getting ready to get Sean and Noel lunch, Eric walked through the door with a proud grin on his face, lunch bag in hand. "You forgot to pack my lunch," he informed me. (I don't usually make his luch because I am sleeping. I barely wake up for family prayer before John and Eric leave in the morning.) I smiled at him and ask him if he was feeling well, if he school had tried to call me, and if they knew he had left. He was feeling just fine (perhaps more than fine since he was so proud of himself for pulling off his escape). The school had not called and did not even know he was gone. I let him know he was going back when I took Sean to school and called to let the school know where he was (they didn't realize he was missing yet). When I took him back to school, Eric broke down into tears. "I don't want to have to go to school after I escape," he sobbed. I really wanted to just pick him up in my arms and tell him that he could stay home and nap with me and Noel, but I knew that would just make him want to do it again. It broke my heart to leave my little boy crying in the office while the pincipal tried to talk to him and get him back to class.
When I picked up the boys from school, Eric's teacher appologized and explained what had happened. It seems Eric got into the luch room, looked in his lunch bag, and realized there was nothing in there. A bit surprised and upset, he asked the lunch teacher if he could go back to the class to look in backpack to see if the food had fallen out. Upon realizing there was nothing there he decided to go to his main source of food, home. He put on his coat and walked the few blocks home with his proof that there was no lunch. His teacher had dropped off the class and gone into the teachers' lounge to eat her own lunch, so she had no idea what was going on. The lunch room teacher didn't even realize he hadn't come back.
Eric has now been told by his teacher and me that it wasn't safe for him to do that (of course it didn't sink in when I told him). Hopefully, he will not do that again. Hopefully, his lunch will be made in the morning or he will accept the alternative of the school's food after today. Thankfully he got here safely and was able to get a lunch.
4 comments:
That is sad...and scary. I'm glad that he made it home okay. Gosh, I bet you were sure surprised to see him. I'm surprised that the teacher didn't follow up with him after he went to the classroom. I'm so glad that he was okay. And he was so proud! :0)
Ah, poor Eric (and poor Mom) to feel so bad about going back. And how scary that the school didn't realize he was gone! Glad everything worked out okay.
wow, that is scary. I would be so angry with the school!!!
Of course when I was his age I did the same thing. I didn't hear the bell and I got scared after I realized everyone had gone in after lunch. I walked home but didn't actually go in to our apartment. The school noticed right away and called the police. I, too, had to go back to school.
I was definately more angry at the school, especially since they didn't even realize he was gone. I think Eric thought coming home was the logical thing to do. I am a bit upset that they are completely blaming him too.
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