Two Weeks

Jayden was four years old.

He didn’t know what to expect when he walked through that classroom door.

New faces. New expectations. New sights. New smells. New everything.

Another place he was told to go, to trust, to adjust.

His academic file preceded his entrance into the new preschool center.

-Aggressive behaviors. Previous expulsions. Trauma history. “High risk.”

The adults whispered, “He’ll be a challenge.”

Still, his teacher knelt to greet him with kindness that first morning.

She had a plan. She had hope.

But he didn’t know her yet. Why should he trust her?

In his short life, he already learned not to trust adults too quickly.

By day three, Jayden was overwhelmed.

He screamed. He Bit. He Ran. He Threw toys.

The world felt unsafe. Loud. Unpredictable.

And this new place didn’t feel any different, there were so many demands and the adults didn’t understand what was

needed.

They gathered daily.

They made plans. Added support. Shifted routines.

They tried, at first...

But two weeks?

Two weeks is not enough time to earn trust.

Two weeks is not enough time to feel safe.

Two weeks is not enough to unlearn fear.

“Homebound instruction,” they told Jaydens mother. She could only cry. With the

extreme stress that comes with being unhoused and caring for two small children,

she didn’t have it in her to fight. Again.

You don’t belong here.

You’re too much.

You break things just by being you.

These are things adults in charge of caring for 4-year-old Jayden are saying to

him.

This decision came from a system built to protect adults—not hold and serve

children.

The door closed.

Jayden needed time. He needed consistency. He needed someone who wouldn’t give up.

Instead, he was abandoned by those who had the power to help him.

Reflection

Jayden’s story isn’t about one teacher, one program, or even one decision. It’s about how easily children are labeled, sorted, and pushed out when what they really need is time, safety, and consistency.

For teachers, it’s a reminder to look past the behavior and see the child who is asking for help in the only way he knows how. For administrators, it’s a call to build systems that allow trust to grow and give teachers the support they need to stay steady when children struggle. For families, it affirms that your child is more than a file or a label—your voice matters in reminding schools of that truth.

Two weeks will never be enough. What children like Jayden need is adults who refuse to give up on them, no matter how hard it gets.