Mrs. Barnett...he said the "S" word...

I can't tell you how many times a day I hear 5 and 6 year olds say my name.  It doesn't matter how many times we practice raising their hands, they still just can't help themselves.  I always cringe a little when I hear my name followed by "he/she did ________" (fill in the blank with some action considered egregious by a 5 year old).  So the other day I was especially nervous when I heard the dreaded "Mrs. Barnett, he just said the "S" word!"  I had seen other veteran teachers handle this, so I quietly leaned over and said "Okay, whisper the word he said so I can talk to him about it."  The child's response was (in a hushed voice) "he said STUPID."  Now don't worry, I did still talk to the child about using the word stupid, but I would be lying if I said I didn't breathe a sigh of relief when that was the "S" word we were dealing with, and not the one that was in my head.  I guess it's all about perspective at 5 and 6 years old.  Innocence is bliss.