Kindness to the unkind

.
My daughter, age 7, was outside with her class one day at school. They were working in the gardens and she asked to go in to use the restroom and her teacher granted her permission. As she headed into the bathroom, a lady stopped her and asked what she was doing. My daughter said she was using the restroom and received a huffed reply that she “can hold it”. My daughter explained that her teacher had given her permission.

She was then asked what her hand washing routine was after using the bathroom. My daughter said she uses a squirt of soap, cold water, and a paper towel. She was told, “no, you should use two squirts of soap, warm water, and 3 paper towels to get your hands really clean.” The next thing out of her mouth was, “get out of my way little girl, you are really annoying”.

Needless to say, when my daughter told me about this I was very upset. After comforting her, I said I would need to talk with the principal and my daughter became very upset. She thought that she would be treated badly or get in trouble. So I agreed to wait until the end of the school year (we’re moving and she won’t be returning to that school in the fall).

On Friday last week, my daughter had a candy in her pocket from a birthday party that day. She’s allergic to dairy so couldn’t eat it herself. She was waiting in the carpool line when the lady who had been rude came nearby and was shushing another student. My daughter said her name then, holding out the candy, said “I want to give you this”. The lady said, “I shouldn’t have done that (my daughter knew what she was referring to). Thank you.”

I was so stunned by and proud of my daughter’s kindness to that lady that I had to pull the car over for a minute when she told me! – Andrea ♥