Those little 'uns
Children really do hold a special place in my heart. They make me feel young, energetic, happy, upset, frustrated, scared, over-joyed, proud...and many other feelings that I cannot even express. In response to me saying, "I love kids at this age," I think I've heard one of my sisters say,"Elly, you say that about every age." What can I say, I love 'em (as I say this with a face your Great-Aunt Margaret would make as she clenches her teeth and then leans in to kiss you and pinch your cheek)!
There are many things that amaze me about them...their eagerness and excitement for something new...their ability to make friends quickly...their smiling faces...their visual display of learning...their ability to make light of a situation that might otherwise be upsetting...their ability to comfort for those they care...and I think my list could go on and on. Among all these qualities of children, I think the one that seems to astound me EVERY time would be their unchanging ability to forgive and love within seconds of being hurt. Don't get me wrong...every child needs discipline and to understand rejection. But, I believe we as adults can many times overreact to children when they need to be corrected...I know I've done it MANY times. I feel terrible after I have overreacted. And yet, I'll look up at the child (feeling frustrated with them and upset with my behavior) and they will be smiling back at me, or holding their arms out to be embraced. If only we all could truly forgive and love as quickly as children do maybe there would not be so much hurt. Sounds so cliche, but it's most certainly the truth. Of course, we'd all have to have people in our lives that forgave and loved us unconditionally to truly act this way...and that is not always the case.
As young children they are so honest. This is where I think their humor comes in (I have the hardest time not laughing at kids when they are speaking to me seriously...they are just so funny, to me anyway :p) You can see how they are learning to use the appropriate social skills and put into practice what they have seen. They are so impressionable. If there is one thing that is humbling, it's seeing your child display annoying qualities and then realizing you do the exact same thing! However, there is always a chance that something good you do as habit also becomes habit to a child. I can remember a dialouge with one of my 1st grade students, Dynasty:
"Mrs. Thielen, can I help you sweep instead of goin' to after-school?" She would often ask to stay in my room instead of going to after-school. Any kid would rather sweep than go there. They had to do homework, or be quiet and the adults that watched over them at this time were, let me say, harsh, and looked especially intimidating to my little, itty-bitty, 1st graders. Plus, they got to spend one-on-one time with me and I benefited from her company as well.
"Of course you can. Pull up a broom! So, do you help your mommy do this at home?" She proceeds to tell me everything she does for her single-parent mother with 3 other kids under the age of 5 and one on the way. And she tells me all of this with a smile as if to be proud of everything she listed. Such LOVE!
"Wow Dynasty, that is a lot! You must really enjoy helping."
"Yeah, but sometimes I be havin' to axe for permission, cuz I be helping too much" I loved talking with her and hearing her ghetto-lingo and then she'd throw in a big word as she was speaking. Of course, I saw this as a teaching moment and felt the need to correct her grammar.
"Axe? You have to use an axe when you ASK for permission?"
"No, no Mrs. T, axe. Like you know with words?"
"Hmmm, I've never axed for persmission, but I've definitely asked for permission." And of course I put extra emphasis on ASKED.
"What?" she looks very perplexed and annoyed.
"Aaa-sssskkkk-ed..."
" aaaaa-xxxxx-ed...??"
This went over and over for a little while until she finally pronounced it clearly and then had this to add...
"Mrs. Thielen, you teached me how to speak nice and I teach my little sisters and my momma sometimes when I git home."
This put such a smile on my face. If there is one thing a teacher yearns for, is for her students to go outside the classroom and use what they've taught them.
I do love those little 'uns...
There are many things that amaze me about them...their eagerness and excitement for something new...their ability to make friends quickly...their smiling faces...their visual display of learning...their ability to make light of a situation that might otherwise be upsetting...their ability to comfort for those they care...and I think my list could go on and on. Among all these qualities of children, I think the one that seems to astound me EVERY time would be their unchanging ability to forgive and love within seconds of being hurt. Don't get me wrong...every child needs discipline and to understand rejection. But, I believe we as adults can many times overreact to children when they need to be corrected...I know I've done it MANY times. I feel terrible after I have overreacted. And yet, I'll look up at the child (feeling frustrated with them and upset with my behavior) and they will be smiling back at me, or holding their arms out to be embraced. If only we all could truly forgive and love as quickly as children do maybe there would not be so much hurt. Sounds so cliche, but it's most certainly the truth. Of course, we'd all have to have people in our lives that forgave and loved us unconditionally to truly act this way...and that is not always the case.
As young children they are so honest. This is where I think their humor comes in (I have the hardest time not laughing at kids when they are speaking to me seriously...they are just so funny, to me anyway :p) You can see how they are learning to use the appropriate social skills and put into practice what they have seen. They are so impressionable. If there is one thing that is humbling, it's seeing your child display annoying qualities and then realizing you do the exact same thing! However, there is always a chance that something good you do as habit also becomes habit to a child. I can remember a dialouge with one of my 1st grade students, Dynasty:
"Mrs. Thielen, can I help you sweep instead of goin' to after-school?" She would often ask to stay in my room instead of going to after-school. Any kid would rather sweep than go there. They had to do homework, or be quiet and the adults that watched over them at this time were, let me say, harsh, and looked especially intimidating to my little, itty-bitty, 1st graders. Plus, they got to spend one-on-one time with me and I benefited from her company as well.
"Of course you can. Pull up a broom! So, do you help your mommy do this at home?" She proceeds to tell me everything she does for her single-parent mother with 3 other kids under the age of 5 and one on the way. And she tells me all of this with a smile as if to be proud of everything she listed. Such LOVE!
"Wow Dynasty, that is a lot! You must really enjoy helping."
"Yeah, but sometimes I be havin' to axe for permission, cuz I be helping too much" I loved talking with her and hearing her ghetto-lingo and then she'd throw in a big word as she was speaking. Of course, I saw this as a teaching moment and felt the need to correct her grammar.
"Axe? You have to use an axe when you ASK for permission?"
"No, no Mrs. T, axe. Like you know with words?"
"Hmmm, I've never axed for persmission, but I've definitely asked for permission." And of course I put extra emphasis on ASKED.
"What?" she looks very perplexed and annoyed.
"Aaa-sssskkkk-ed..."
" aaaaa-xxxxx-ed...??"
This went over and over for a little while until she finally pronounced it clearly and then had this to add...
"Mrs. Thielen, you teached me how to speak nice and I teach my little sisters and my momma sometimes when I git home."
This put such a smile on my face. If there is one thing a teacher yearns for, is for her students to go outside the classroom and use what they've taught them.
I do love those little 'uns...
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