Can't help it

Xena - Mama, my classmate tripped and fell and got hurt, so I took her to the genoff.

Me - What (on earth) is the genoff?

Xena - Oh, Mama. Genoff is the General Office. At school, when you don't know where to go, you go to the GenOff. That's the rule.

Me - Ah, ok. Then what happened?

Xena - Then she asked them to call her parents so the GenOff called her parents and she went home and I came back to class.

Me - She went home? Was she badly hurt?

Xena - I don't think so.

So I messaged the child's mother to ask if she was okay. (She and I work in cahoots to stay one step ahead of our kids, without them knowing it.) The mother said she was absolutely fine and probably just wanted an excuse to get out of school and go home.

Realising that it could happen to Xena too (I've been told that the kids feel very important when they go to the GenOff, especially if they get to make a phone call), I gently brought up the topic with her.

Me - So if you get hurt at school and need help, you ask for it, ok? Ask a student or a teacher for help. Or if you can, go to the General... I mean the GenOff. You know that, right?

Xena - Of course, Mama.

Me - And you ask them to call me only if you're badly hurt, ok? Like if you're bleeding or in great pain and need to go see a doctor.

Xena - Yes, I know.

Me - Don't ask them to call me for minor bruises and stuff, ok?

Xena - Ok. I will try...

Me - What try? If you call me to pick you up for something minor, I won't come. You need to deal with it yourself. You know that, right?

Xena - I know. I won't call you for random things.

Me - Very good.

Xena - I didn't call you last week.

Me - What happened last week?

Xena - I got a little cut on my finger. It was bleeding like a volcano.

Me (trying to suppress my laughter) - It was bleeding like a... what?

Xena - A volcano. An exploding volcano.

Me - Really? Wow.

Xena - Yeah, but it was not at all serious. Just a tiiiiiinyyyyyy cut. I just went to the GenOff and got a band-aid. That's all.

Me - Very good.