family

For the third time since school started, E's social studies class is focusing on family. The first time, it was pretty innocent, the teacher asked the kids to bring in a photo of their family for a poster project. The second time, the kids were asked to draw a picture of their family. Last week, there was a question in E's homework that asked "who do you look like".

The first time, I gave E a nice picture of the two of us waiting for the school bus that was taken à la Thelma and Louise. That's what I call the shot taken by one of the subjects holding the camera in front with the lens facing the person holding the camera with whomever else is beside them. I first saw it done that way in that movie and thought "what a great idea!" especially when you are a single mom and want to get those pics of mom and kid together! :) Easy peasy and I was happy to send in the pic.

Second time around, E drew a picture of our family: her, me, her abuelos, her tios and tia T's dog. It was a beautiful picture and very crowded. It made my heart glad to see how E considers everyone in our family part of her nuclear family. I was hoping her teacher would be so inclined to see it that way too. But no, she said E had to redo the picture with everyone who lives in her house. Does it not count that her abuelos and tios are over at our house everyday?! Anyway, E drew another picture of just herself with me.

Third time, last week, there was a question in her homework that asked who she looks like. In my head, I felt like telling her to write that she expresses the most beautiful attributes of both her birth mother and her birth father. But given that this is a grade one class and that they are probably not going to delve much into genetics, which begs the question why the school would even consider asking such a question if this is not a genetics subject! Anyways, I told her that she looks like Ginger Snap from Strawberry Shortcake. If she were 2 years younger, she could have put Dora the Explorer. E thought it was hysterical that she was writing Ginger Snap as the person she looks like. I hope her teacher gets the joke and maybe starts reviewing some of their lesson plans where family are concerned to make them more inclusive.