Reverse Crisis Management

So, last night, Hannah told me about her day at school. She was calm, cool, and collected--which is more than I wanted to be after I heard her out. Her recess yesterday included being bitten, so hard that there is a nice purple, mouth-shaped outline on her upper arm. What is this, like 1st grade? She's in middle school, people!

I talked to her principal this morning at length, in a very reasonable and satisfactory manner. I didn't want to either under- or overreact. The young man will be punished, and was quite remorseful, having not realized how hard he had bitten her (or apparently, as the principal pointed out, that he shouldn't have been biting anyone at all).

So, how did I stay cool enough to not overreact? Well, call it a ... presentiment. Of course, I didn't think whatever it was would come to pass before lunch, but alas, it did! All morning, I kept thinking that I needed to stay cool about the whole incident, because someday, just someday, I could be that poor young man's mother getting that phone call, knowing a certain little boy (or even two certain little boys).

And then the email came. Fighting at school. Playing at recess when not supposed to. Can't keep his hands to himself. Had to be separated and spend time in the office.

Whew! I'm glad I didn't get all worked up, as much as I wanted to for Hannah's sake. But really, did I really, really need to know both sides of the story?