5 year old, year 1 - would this be expected?

[ragdollannie]

DD came home today and said that she had made two cards. one was a card for her teacher, with the teacher's house and car and face on it. She made the other card for her teacher's sister. I asked her if she knew her teacher's sister and she said 'no, but I know she has one.' I am concerned about DD's social skills and I've never heard of a child making a card for someone they have never met before.

do you have any other concerns?

I could see my dd2 (also 5, in year 1) doing something similar. eg if she had drawn a card for her teacher, and the teacher said something like 'oh, how lovely, it's yellow - my sister loves yellow' (or anything random like that), then dd2 would probably trot off and make another card for the teacher's sister.

or if the teacher had mentioend it was her sister's birthday, or anything like that, and dd2 happened to be drawing she would probably do something for the sister.

because in dd2's world, the eacher's sister would be thrilled to recieve a card from an unknown child - because of course it is a masterpiece drawn by dd2

I wonder if the teacher mentioned her sister when giving the children an idea for someone to send their card to ie "I'll be sending a card to my sister, my neighbours, my zumba tutor...' and your daughter thought she had to choose one of those.

I wouldn't expect my kids to send a card to the teacher's relatives, but I wouldn't be alarmed if it happened - I'd think there'd been some confusion.

If it makes you feel any better I'm a teacher and get things like this all the time. For my mum, my husband, my sister and my dc. All depends on how much of their lives a teacher shares. Could be she has been speaking about her sister and this has stuck in your daughter's mind. I'm no expert but what other concerns do you have?

I think this is normal too, especially if the teacher shares a lot e.g my sister and I used to.... My sister loves...

If it helps I'm a teacher and have taught year 1 and 2. I've had some weird christmas cards, some for my mum, my cat, my husband. One little lad even insisted we phone my brother on his birthday to sing happy birthday to him.

I talk a lot about my family and life outside school, I think they just latch onto this and do these things to make me happy/be kind. It could just be your ds showing his thoughtful side.

Oh it sounds perfectly normal.

DD has written a marvellous Christmas missive to the caretaker and his family. She regularly tells us all about her teacher's family and I know for a fact she made her teacher's ds a birthday card.