Our school sends home worksheets for parents to do with their children to help teach social skills. The exercises cover things like respectfulness, bullying, how to deal with high emotions as well a variety of safety concerns.

Clara, my tree climbing, bruise sporting, “Watch this mom!” yelling, master of exciting games like slingshot-ing yourself down a staircase with an old therapy band, brought me her homework.

I read aloud the first question.

“What do you need to do to stay safe?”

And Clara, in a voice that heard far too many rules at school in the first day alone, answered,

“Be boring.”

I’m not worried.

School rules or not, this girl doesn’t do boring!