Pre-K....and parenting....it's so confusing!

Tatum received a letter today from his Pre-K school and we have orientation next Wednesday. I'm pretty excited to meet his teacher, see his classroom and meet all the other kids. I feel a bit odd that I am this excited about this new chapter - I wonder how I will feel when he starts kindergarten? To be honest, I'm already excited about that too! This summer, he has been struggling with a few of the boys in his current classroom. We have never run into these kinds of problems with Tatum at school so it's a new challenge and hope that we are dealing with it correctly. I just hope that the change of scenery helps the situation. Probably wishful thinking. I hate to be "that" parent that thinks their kid doesn't do anything wrong, but I have think that Tatum can't be the one causing all the problems, right? We actually got a note sent home from the teacher! Mike thinks I'm over thinking this; that they are only 4 years old and this is what kids do, but my mind is already thinking about all the problems he could have in middle/high school if we don't solve everything today! (Okay...so I'm willing to admit that it's possible that I'm over reacting.) Tatum is very honest about what happened during the day - if he was mean to another classmate he immediately tells me when I pick him up. And the issues seem so trivial to me...a classmate cut in the line for hand washing or went down the slide when it was his turn or picked the book he wanted. How do you communicate to a 4 year old that those things aren't nice, but it's not okay to push someone? I want him to stand up for himself and not be a tattletale...but again, does a 4 year old comprehend that? I'm just at a loss. Sorry for the rambling on, but I just needed to get that off my chest.

On a side note, as I talk to Tatum about these things, it makes me think about all the stuff I get upset about during a day that are trivial. Of course, I don't walk around physically pushing people when I get upset with them, but how does my opinion of them and the way I treat them change because of things that are not imporant. I have to ponder this one a bit more. Just some food for thought.