Hanging Out With The Kids

We were so embarrassingly late for kinder today that I decided to hang around and help out. Made more sense than going home and coming out again.

Having helped at kinder several times, I've grown more thick-skinned now and have learnt that non-answers, stares and silence are just as okay as the kind of responses I'm accustomed to. I've learnt to take All Failure As Feedback (as NLP practitioners like to say) and not as a personal shortcoming.

I've learnt to just be, instead of worrying constantly "What do I say?" "Do I sound dumb?" "What if...." and to flow along with things. It has worked magically so far, and I think I've even developed a special connection with a few of the little ones.

At the playground, at snack time, and when the kids were doing their worksheets, there were countless opportunities to be a cheerleader, a comforter, a guide, a problem solver. Being with young children for extended periods of time can be tremendously satisfying, but it's also VERY HARD WORK, and not for the fainthearted or oversensitive. So - kudos to Beth's teachers for their daily efforts!

I've learnt that children are amazingly forgiving and accepting about occasions when adults fail them (like when teachers ignore their raised hands, or misinterpret what they say, or wrongly reprimand them). Their little hearts are so open and generous and warm, and they haven't got their guards up all the time like adults do.

"Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven...And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me." (Matt. 18:3,5)

Having eavesdropped on a few snack time conversations, I have learnt how quickly and how much they're absorbing adult habits, language and behaviour without us being aware. A reminder to think carefully before I say something to Beth (or to someone else in her presence).

I've learnt not to judge by appearances. The cool kids, the know-it-alls and the disruptive ones who get sent to the Naughty Mat regularly, can be just as eager for adult approval and encouragement as the rest.

I've also learnt a new word: INCURSIONS. I always thought that had a negative connotation, like an intrusion. At kinder though, it means an excursion, except it takes place on school premises (makes sense, doesn't it?). So last week was Museum Incursion, when someone from the museum came to do a presentation on dinosaur fossils. Today was Library Incursion, and someone from the library came to read a story about a joey who found Mummy Kangaroo's pocket too messy and crowded and went in search of some other place to stay. The kids love these special sessions, especially if they're interactive and hands-on, and are always very responsive.

In 2 weeks' time, I'll have the privilege of doing a special session of my own, called Write-A-Story. Beth's teacher learnt that I'm a writer, and asked if I could help the kids develop their own storyline, with each child contributing some input. We'll then type up and print the finished product and distribute The Book to the kids. It's such a fantastic idea because there's no way to prepare and you can never tell how the story will turn out. I'm really looking forward to it!