I had Julia and Lili's Buttons and Maltesers in my case for their after school session. Never mind why again but the session could not happen, so I was able to go home early. Jas wandered in just before I left. I was about to offer her the choice of either Buttons or Maltesers to keep her energy levels up when I remembered, just in time, that her teeth braces mean she cannot have sweets and chocolate.
I felt I was guilty of child cruelty as I packed everything away and waved her goodbye.
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Lili is the sort of child we do not meet every day: monumental intellect; musical talent; wonderful sense of humour; huge zest for life; unfailingly kind and polite; loving.
I have just taken on a similar child at school 2. Meet Emily. Same characteristics as Lili. I have met many in my career who share the same characteristics as Lili and Em but being clever, not searingly bright - Masie and Georgi for example.
Save for physical characteristics, Em and Lili could be the same girl. I sent this home to Em's mum tonight after her second lesson with me:
I like to write home when kids do something funny or cute during their piano lessons. Em managed both today.
I asked about her instrument at home last week; she answered with the information that there is a grand piano in the 'music room'. This was wonderful news to me but not the point of this email apart from it starting to paint a picture of a family not entirely without resources.
I asked Em today, "Darling, you have a brain the size of Jupiter. Kids like you do not tend to have idiots as parents. Are you a high achieving family?"
We are familiar with people offering information as if not sure it is noteworthy - rising inflection and softening of volume at the end of the sentence so that it sounds like a question. Came the diffident reply, "Well, my parents are both doctors," uttered as if to ask, "Does that count?"
I could have teased her with, "No. Of course not. Every child's parents are doctors," but decided not to - she does not know me well yet, although I think she has me summed up.
Sweet children are inclined to say, "Sorry," whenever they make a mistake in their lessons. Em is one of these. This does not annoy me but what I want is for them to giggle when they do something 'wrong'. This adds to the already happy atmosphere I am trying to create.
You probably know what is coming but I will write it anyway. I said to her, "Angel, you never need to apologise for making a mistake, so stop saying 'sorry' every time you do."
Came the inevitable and invariable response in this situation, "OK. Sorry." Giggles.
A few seconds pause then, "Oops. Said it again. Sorry." More giggles.
She was starting to break the habit by the end of the lesson.
I had a wonderful time with Emily today. Thank you for bringing her to me.