The letter was from the association of preschool directors in the town where I used to work. They hold an annual appreciation dinner for the preschool teachers and parents have the opportunity to buy a tribute for teachers that they want to honor. The names of those teachers are shown in an ongoing slide show throughout the evening and each honoree receives a letter stating who paid tribute to them and what they had to say about the teacher.
Considering that I had already been gone for a few months before the tributes were available, I was surprised to see my letter in the mail, complete with my out of state address. Excitedly, I ripped open the envelope, wondering who had thought of me.
I was delighted by what I saw. I was being honored, and remembered in high regard, by a mom whose son didn't particularly care for me. He was in my class in the fall and Mom had reached out to me for extra help at home. She wanted some support to help her little boy become more independent and she became my first official client. Needless to say, the Boy did not always enjoy my presence.
In her tribute, Mom made mention that Boy missed me, but what made my heart glow was this statement: You make a great Bad Cop.
Considering the fact that I use a non-punitive, gentle style of redirection, I know that a lot of parents and other professionals think that I am too "easy" on children's negative or inappropriate behaviors. And I wasn't sure that it is clear to more passive parents that firm boundaries and expectations can be set without squashing a child's spirit or curiosity. But being hailed as a "great Bad Cop" reaffirmed my belief that young children CAN be redirected and encouraged to have appropriate behavior without being yelled at, embarrassed, ridiculed, or punished, and that I can help parents reach that goal.
I couldn't be more proud to be considered Bad.
