heartbreaker

It broke my heart when Suzanne started crying. she was crying because I didn't understand what she said. When I picked her up from school early yesterday, I had a special moment in mind: get a gift for papa and then go get some hot chocolate together at the café (just the big girls since she's been feeling a little jealous lately with her brother's chicken pox and various other winter viruses).

So I asked her how school was and she said, "Lor(garbled named) has already cinq ans". I asked her to repeat. So she said it again. This time I understand that someone turned 5 in her class. so I asked who. She repeated the name and I still didn't understand so I said it's someone I don't know. She then broke down in tears and said, "LORETTE!" After I managed to calm her down, I got down on my knees to look her in the eye and explained something that I think she doesn't quite realize nor understand: I don't speak French like her. I explained to my 4 and a half year old that when I was growing up in NJ, we didn't speak French. I learned some French at school but that's all. I told her that I usually understand when she speaks French but sometimes I don't so she needs to be patient with me. That's why we speak English together.

I had a brief moment of panic when I realized that this could be the first step towards the moment I dread: Suzanne's rejection of speaking English to me. If it frustrates her so much, is it worth it? Will it be more of a negative than a positive experience for her? I know that she will not necessarily reject English, and if she does, she does. But it's heartbreaking to any parent to see their kid crying...for any reason.