Krissi's First Field Trip

It's funny how each of our children are so different, at least mine were. My youngest two daughters, even though they were only seventeen months apart, were totally unlike each other.

Kami was our independent, adventurous little girl, on the outside. Yet on the inside, she was timid as a mouse. I didn't realize this until we went to Disneyland. She held tightly to my hand and thoroughly disliked every scary, thrilling ride. It totally surprised me.

Krissi, on the other hand, was a shy, quiet, timid little girl. She was content staying close to me, playing inside the house, only talking to her close brothers and sisters and grandma. She drove poor grandpa crazy, hiding behind me every time he tried to talk with her. Grandma suggested that Krissi shied away from Grandpa on purpose because it caused him to pay her more attention. Maybe so.

Krissi totally surprised me at Disneyland. She wasn't scared of a single ride, and enjoyed everything thrilling and exciting, totally opposite of what I would have expected. But it was during her first school field trip that I really realized just how independent Krissi really was.

Krissi went to the zoo for her first field trip in Kindergarten. I think I was excited as she was. We held hands as we walked down the hall to her classroom, carrying our sack lunches and water bottles, ready to have a fun adventure. I opened the classroom door and Krissi rushed in to hug her teacher, put her things on her desk, and greet her classmates. I followed, said hello to the teacher, then stood in the back of the room with the other mothers, quietly visiting until it was time for us to get on the bus.

The teacher had a list of children for each mother to keep an eye on. I was assigned to take care of Krissi and three other little girls. They were all sweethearts, and I expected to have a nice day. I wasn't prepared for what happened next, though.

The children got into their lines and quietly walked out to the waiting bus. The mothers followed, while the few dads who were coming carried the boxes full of lunch sacks. Once at the bus, the children happily climbed on, finding seats next to their friends or their parents. I followed Krissi and took a seat towards the front of the bus, but she didn't sit next to me. Instead, she sat beside one of her friend's mothers on the row behind me.

“Krissi, don't you want to sit by me?” I asked in surprise.

She grinned and shook her head.

I looked at her, then at the other mother, who smiled consolingly at me.

“Are you sure you don't want to sit here?” I asked again, hopefully, but Krissi didn't move.

Two of the little girls in my group hurried over and sat on either side of me, and we had a fun ride to the zoo, but I've got to tell you I was a little mystified, and a lot perturbed. What was the point of going on a field trip with my daughter if she didn't want to be with me?

At the zoo Krissi continued to stick by the other mother. We all stayed together in one large group, so it really didn't matter who she was with, but it sure hurt my feelings. Other little girls who didn't have mother's with them held my hand, we walked and talked and enjoyed the zoo, but Krissi pretended like I wasn't there. It was really odd.

The ride home was the same as the ride there, though most of the children fell asleep and I read a book. It was one of the easiest field trips I had ever chaperoned, and certainly a lot of fun, but not what I'd expected.

Back at school the teacher allowed the children with parents to leave early, so Krissi and I said goodby and walked out to our car.

“Did you have a good time?” I asked as we climbed into our car.

“Yes,” she told me happily, beaming from ear to ear.

“Were you sad I came with you?” I asked curiously.

“No,” she told me unconcernedly.

“Why didn't you sit with me, then?” I asked.

“I don't know,” she said with a little yawn. And that was all I ever got out of her. There didn't seem to be any reason for her odd behavior, other than that she just wanted to sit with that other mother. I guess she just wanted to do her own thing, I don't know. She always wanted me to come with her on field trips, but she never did have anything to do with me when I was there. Perhaps it was her way of being independent, perhaps it was her way of being anonymous, and not drawing attention to herself. One way or the other, it sure was different from the way my other children acted. But that's my point. Kids are different one from another, just like the rest of us, I guess.