A teachable moment

(a month ago)

Gemma, William and I got to the bus stop and another kindergarten student was waiting.  There is a blue square painted on the cement near the corner which has been designated the unofficial "bus stop" (I think it is something the street crews left behind from a storm drain project over the summer?).  The other (female) student (let's call her E.) was already standing on the square.

E's mom:  E!  Come here!  Your clip is falling out of your hair.
E: (Conflicted look on her face.  She looks at her feet planted on the blue square and back and her mom.  If only she could hold her coveted place on the blue square and still listen to her mom!)
E's mom: E!  Come here!
E: (big sigh and trudges over to her mom, looking sadly over her shoulder)
William: (jumps triumphantly only the blue square)  HaaaHAAA!  I AM THE FIRST ONE!!

I tried to ignore it.  I really did.  It didn't work. 

Mom: William, you need to let E have the first place in line back.
William: NO! Why?  She left!  It is MINE now! HahHAA!
Mom: (sigh) William, the polite thing to do is to let her have her spot back.  She had to leave the line to listen to her mom.  It wasn't her fault.
William: NooOOOOooo!  I don't want to let her have it back.
Mom: (thinking....what a little gentleman I am raising....hmmmm)
Mom: William, did you know that the polite thing to do is to let girls go first?  There is a polite saying that says "Ladies first"
William: Whaaa?  Are you making it up?
Mom: No.  The polite thing to do is let a girl go through the door first.
William: It is?
Mom: Yes.  The right thing to do is let girls go first.  Especially when the girl was in front of you in line and had to leave for a minute to listen to her mom.

E came trudging back to the bus stop and her face lit up when William let her have the front spot back again. 

Moments later the bus pulled up.  E. turned to wave to her mom and my perfect little gentleman went around E and hopped on the bus.  What a proud mom moment!


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Update: We talked about being polite, waiting your turn, sometimes letting a friend (girl or boy) go in front of you as a way to be kind.  A day or so later, we made it to the bus stop as E was walking up.

William: E, you can be in front of me. (turns with his most charming grin to his mama)
E: (big smile)
William:  You can be in front of me because you are my friend.
E: (big smile)

The bus pulled up.  E turned to wave at her mom and William waited patiently.  For a minute.  Then he jostled E's elbow and chest bumped her toward the bus.

Baby steps.  A little progress?