About Rebecca Eckler
Since becoming pregnant with her daughter Rowan, Canadian journalist and author Rebecca Eckler has penned three hilarious books, including the best-selling Knocked Up. Catch Rebecca’s weekly unique perspective on motherhood and single parenthood.
Super Spy
eckler plus one: spying on your child canada
(Sep.13.11)
There is nothing more heartbreaking than watching your child in a playground at school standing alone. I realized this after spying on my daughter on her second day of school. I remember long, long ago calling one of my first friends who got pregnant and when she answered the phone, she was whispering, because she was hiding behind some bushes at her son’s school, after he told her some of the kids were bugging him. So she went to spy. I thought she was crazy!
My daughter just started a new school this year and went in knowing a couple of girls, but they were certainly not friends.
At my daughter’s school, you can drive up and a teacher or helper will take your child from your car and you can drive off. Yes, I drive off, but then I park on the street across from the playground to make sure she’s okay. And it’s not okay – at least for me – to watch her stand all by herself, looking like she doesn’t know what to do, while all the other kids are playing with each other. It really is heartbreaking to see this.
So, I waited and waited in my car, parked illegally on the street, spying on my daughter, praying that some other child would come up and ask her to play, or that she’d just start playing by herself on the monkey bars (which she loves). Finally, after what seemed like forever, but in reality was probably about ten minutes, she found a group of girls and they started playing. Phew.
The following day, I did the same thing, praying that my daughter would find someone to play with immediately, since it was her second day, and I couldn’t go through watching her stand alone again.
Her father told me it was probably best that I didn’t spy and look, but I’m her mother and I need to know that she’s okay. So, again, I dropped her off, pulled around the corner, parked my car illegally and watched her from afar on the playground. I was thrilled when immediately I saw her with another girl in her class, playing rock, paper, scissors. My heart beamed! I could leave.
Now I can totally understand and relate to why my first mom friend was spying on her child during recess all those years ago. Yes, we have to be chauffeurs, and cooks and housekeepers for our children. Now I’m adding spy to the list.
Have you ever spied on your child or children during school? Share!
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