Hurt Pride

S travels by taxi to school. It was something I really struggled with but seeing how much the journey settles her and how amazing her relationship with her chaperone is those worries are long gone. S has the same driver each day and so far no issues. However sometimes she has to have a substitute driver. S is always pre-warned and still has her regular chaperone. Friday was one of these days S was to be bought home by a different driver (we'll call him Cabbie).

S came home and as soon as she stepped through the door she started crying. She told me how Cabbie had told her dinosaurs never existed. This statement to S was devastating. Dinosaurs mean more to S than most could ever imagine so to have a grown man tell her they were never alive it broke her heart. It would have caused a deep confusion as S believes what she is told especially by adults. So how can someone say they didn't exist when there are so many books and facts about? How is it possible that palaeontologists dig up fossils if they didn't exist? After we managed to calm S and reassure her that this man was wrong we started to find out what had happened. 

S had asked Cabbie some dinosaur facts things like 'What does triceratops mean?' I can only assume this clever little girl made Mr Cabbie feel a little dumb so as an attempt to recover his damaged pride he said they never lived. S started to argue and despite her chaperone telling her not to listen to him, this man that called her a 'nasty little girl', really got to her. 

We made a complaint right away to the taxi company and were assure the manager would speak to Cabbie. If this man cannot get along with children he certainly should not be assigned to the school runs of sensitive special needs children. He would not have spoken to a child that way if their parents were present. I sinerly hope he is never sent to transport my daughter again because I will not be allowing him to do so. 

We have tried to use this experience to teach S that grown ups are not always right and that if one does upset her and she tells us we will try to sort it out.