the makings of a breakdown

It all started with this.....

When you dress a kid in an outfit like this, you’re basically guaranteeing them an abnormal day.  And abnormal to kids typically equals bad.  They may be young, but these little people are acutely aware when they don’t mix in with the pack and in this get-up Daniel very much stood out.  This little man knew it and before he even walked into Reggio, he was trying to ditch the bow tie. With everyone fawning over him like he was a K Pop star, I understand why he was complaining about feeling “too hot” and grabbing his tie while repeating “no good. no good.”

When I was young I had this obsession with my socks being perfect inside my shoes.  I remember my mom helping me get my shoes on for elementary school and I was so unbelievably upset because my sock was creased inside my sneaker, driving me insane, like that kinked sock was the worst discomfort that a person could possibly endure, or could not endure for that matter, because to me it was unbearable.  That was more or less how Daniel was acting on the day his mother decided to dress him up like a preppy ken doll.  He just couldn’t take it.  Yet like a selfish adolescent with a new barbie, I made him keep it on, and whenever the chance came up to show him off to someone else in the school, I took it, blatantly ignoring his discomfort.  I’m a bad person.  And the video below strengthens that sentiment.

After a morning full of mini fits, Daniel reached his breaking point.  People had been ignoring his demands all day and when WoongJay and David wouldn’t give him the toy, he snapped.

In the video please note how they deliberately ignore my pleas for peace.  You can also hear me confirm aloud that I should be stopping the fight, but then I stand up to get a better angle.  And lastly, take note of Brian, who at first tries to stop the tussle, then halfway through appoints himself referee of the match.


After separating the fighters Daniel broke down in tears, all the days emotions flooding out.  I picked him up and tried to make amends with a can of mixed nuts and candy....



Poor guy just needed some almonds for those chipmunk cheeks.