Once upon a time the obstinate Princess Sabrina started kindergarten. Although she had gone to preschool for two years and had a GREAT time with a wonderful teacher, Terry Dayner, she did not want to go to Kindergarten. The prospect of a new school with lots of new faces frightened her.
When it came time to go to class on her first day Sabrina stomped her feet and frowned mightily creating an epic standoff, “I do not want to go to school!” She cried and refused to get dressed.
Her daddy felt uncomfortable with the situation, to say the least. In fact he was probably more frightened of taking Sabrina to school than Sabrina was frightened of going to school. He had no idea how Sabrina would react.
Sabrina’s daddy did what he had to do, he escalated the situation and threatened Sabrina with a double time out. It was a bluff, and fortunately Sabrina’s daddy was very good a bluffing. He didn’t even have enough time for a single time out, much less a double.
Begrudgingly Sabrina got ready for school. She rode her bike to school with her daddy and second grade sister Skylee. Sabrina had been to the school many times with her sister and daddy, but she still didn’t want to go. Inside the classroom Sabrina clutched at her daddy with supernatural strength. Sabrina’s daddy took both of Sabrina’s hands, pried them from his legs and gave her hands to Sabrina’s teacher who did not let go.
In a flash a flawless dump and run was executed. With an “I love you,” Sabrina’s daddy was out the door. Amazingly Sabrina had not even cried.
That first week Sabrina attended school under protest. She did nothing while the rest of the class worked. Finally on the first Friday it was her birthday, and Sabrina was told there would be cupcakes if she did just one project with the other children. That day, on Sabrina’s fifth birthday she didn’t just do one thing the other kids did, she did everything!
A few weeks into school Sabrina was working right alongside the other children. She still protested upon the morning partings with her daddy, and needed to be physically handed over to the teacher to be restrained in order for her daddy to make a clean getaway.
One morning, during the third week of school before class Sabrina was doing a coloring project next to one of her classmates. Upon finishing it her daddy asked Sabrina to bring the drawing to her teacher, “I don’t want to.” Sabrina drew a line in the sandbox in her head.
Her classmate looked over at Sabrina and her daddy. “She talks!” She said with amazement.
It was true, on her thirteenth day in class Sabrina still said so little her classmates didn’t even think she could talk! That is why Sabrina the Princess became known throughout the land as Sabrina the Unbending. Pity those who stand in her way, including her father!
Andy Falk is a father of two incredible daughters ages born in 2001 & 2003, Skylee
and Sabrina. Andy is very active in the lives of his daughters, from coaching soccer to supporting them during swimming season to just plain doing homework or hanging out. Andy also surfs regularly, bicycle commutes and is a successful Realtor in Marin County, CA. Andy earned his MBA from San Francisco State University with an Internet Marketing concentration, and holds a BA from the University of California at San Diego where he studied and surfed in the 80’s.
Very nice great article thank you…