Growing Pains

Like father like daughter (except for the shy part!)

Oh I love basketball and everything the program is and stands for, oh I don't like other kids! I know for those who really know Paige this comes a surprise but she is really, really shy. Remember the Girl Scout cookie selling, well even if she makes it to a house without a dog, good luck getting her to talk. She does fine with those she knows but complete strangers well, better luck next time!

She has been loving practice. It has been a huge step for her. She wanted to play so much that she was willing to sign up without Lindy participating. Huge step as they are inseparable! I kept waiting for her to tell me at each practice that she was going to quit or not want to go. That was never the case. She really likes it.
Last weekend she had her first game. It was a little nerve wracking for her, especially with all of those people in the stands watching the game (her!). But she did great! We were so proud. We got home and she said she was quitting basketball. What?! She would not give any more explanation. Lindy pipes up "I know why Paige is quitting basketball." We all look at her, of course Paige's mouthpiece would know! "Some girl keeps telling her she is too short to be on the team and she needs to play on the preschool team."

Further conversation with Paige leads to the fact that this has been going on at each practice. I knew at the first one girls said stuff, the usual " your so little"etc. I know them all I got it too. But nothing that sounded mean or hurtful. Usually people just mean that you are little and cute, not a bad thing! Well, this girl has been saying it every week and not in a good way! She apparently said it while they were out on the court playing in the middle of the game. Hence why none of the adults knew this was going on.

After much discussion with Paige,where Bill and I explained the usual, there will always be mean people. You can't quit things you really like because of one mean or rude person. But she is 7. And a very sensitive 7. Passionate, stubborn, headstrong. She is so dumbfounded that people act this way she does not even know how to process it.

So, she heads to practice excited and happy. Bill took her and called to tell me 20 minutes later that they were heading home. ??

She finally told me that while taking off her coat, this same girl stuck her tongue out at her and made a face at her (can you say Bully!). Well that was all she needed to pack it in. She was not staying or playing anymore. She has made this abundantly clear.

I called the coach who was wonderful. He too is a homeschooling parent so he totally understands the fact that these situations and dealing with them are foreign to Paige. He was also very disappointed to hear it was going on as this goes completely against the mission of the program.

He was going to speak with the team without naming names, another sensitive thing for Paige as she does not want to be a snitch. She would rather deal with it and not play then be a tattle.

So, we did not go to her game yesterday. After sitting through her brothers I think she may be coming around and is talking about returning to practice this week. We shall see! As much as I hate to see her quit, it may take a couple of times going through this before she realizes she can't let dumb people bully her out of stuff she likes.

One more growing pain for Paige with a few tears shed by both of us.