But I don’t want to

What is wrong with kids these days? They think that everything should be brought to them and that they don’t have to do a thing? Why is that? My kids, the ones at my school, are learning t be independent. Not just because at 4 and 5 yrs old they should be able to do a lot of things on their own but also because they are lazy sometimes. I’ve noticed that at snack time they are waiting for me to put the soap on their hands and turn on the water. Now some of them can’t reach the handles so yes they need help, but the others, they don’t need it. They are perfectly capable of doing it all by themselves. Then they sit down at the table and wait for me to bring them their snack bags. As my Dad used to say to us “are your legs broken? You can get up and get it yourself.”  There is no reason that they can’t get their bag, put on their shoes and jackets or wash their hands by themselves. Some of these parents in the world are enabling their children to be lazy. With Earth Day tomorrow it’s gotten me thinking about what they need, not just can, do to make this planet a better one.

We do a lot of things where they are learning about the world around them. We have the garden out front that everyone is responsible for, leftover food is given to the chickens and goats around the corner, and we clean up as a group. These are basic things that I think every kid should know about. It’s not just about being “green” but being aware, being conscious of the world around us. They have to learn that what they do has a consequence to it. That if they leave food out flies will get it. If they don’t water the plants they will die. If they leave a mess someone can get hurt.

What got me thinking about this is that one of my kids today always seems to be waiting for me to do it for her. When it was snack time she was waiting for me to wash her hands for her. When it was time to fill the water bottles for the garden she said she was going to fill up 1 while everyone else did 3, then didn’t want to water anything. It made me aware of the fact that she was waiting for things to be done for her, not taking the incentive to do it herself. She’s a smart girl and should have been able to do this easy but the desire was not there to it. Oh well. To each their own, she will either get on board with what’s going on or the other kids will help her along.

Inaugural Day

I hope was hoping that with today being the day that it is and yesterday was MLK Day that I would be in a better place, both in my mind and at the school but I was cleaning yesterday and now I only have to two kids, one of which is my own! Not actually uplifting. But things will get better right?

I am no SupperNanny

I am not Supper Nanny,  not by a long shot but there are some Super nanny moments.

For the most part the kids at school are good. They have been there long enough, before me, that they know what is expected of them as far as playing fair, playing nice, etc. But of course there are a few that come so rarely that they don;t understand why they can’t do this or that. Here is an example.

A is 4 (I think) and hasn’t been in a year because he is going to the Catholic preschool down the street from us plus Dad is a SAHD. Well he was here all week and S has already told me that he is a problem. This kid has some issues in my opinion. I have seen him outside of school and that kid has never been told no with meaning so I knew that there would be problems.

For most of the week he was ok not as bad I thought he would be but Friday was it. I took them to the 5 kids I had to the  park, which is only down the street, to play on the swings and enjoy the sun while it’s still out and a little warm. Well he didn’t want to hold hands so we could cross the street so we walked back to the studio until he was ready to listen (2 minutes). Once we got to the park instead of using his words and asking for help on the swing he whined and hit it. The other kids all went off to play and weren’t listening to him. After 5 minutes of whining, and me not paying attention to it, he finally used his words. Then about 15 minutes after that he decided that he wanted to go on the slide. Great!!!

I looked over in time to see him trying to step on another kids hand. Yes that is what I said. I ran walked over and gave him a time out and put him on the bench. After telling him that was unacceptable behavior and very dangerous he sat there until he was ready  to talk about the whole thing which brought on crying.

Fast forward to being back at the studio and after lunch. He was building something with the Lego’s and it fell so he cried, then thru them. Unfortunately two other kids where in the general direction of the Lego’s and almost got hit. Before I had a chance to say anything him he started hitting the Lego’s. TIME OUT!!!!!!!!

(I don’t know if I have mentioned this before our not but time out is not a big deal at school. It just means that you have to sit down and think about what you did. When you are ready to talk about what happened we can talk. After that if you need to apologize then you apologize to the person and give them a hug and that’s the end of it. You don’t have to spend a certain amount of time there just until you are calm)

He sat there for a good 20 minutes crying and screaming and beating the floor. It was almost comical. Did the other kids stop what they were doing? Nope but they did ask me what was wrong with him. I said that he was having a moment and when he was calm and ready to talk he could get up, simple as that. I am not one to cuddle and baby a child after they are violent, even if it was a toy. That is not an acceptable way to behave. He will just have to learn that. Does that make me mean? To them, yes to their parents I am probably doing something they don’t want to do.

Re-post…..so soon

I posted this on my other blog but I wanted to post it here as well since I have been having some problems with it.

Most days we take the kids from school to the hospital cafeteria for lunch. Most of them haven’t been sent to school with food so we buy for them as well as ourselves. Most days there is about 6 kids and then myself and the other teacher. The kids know that they need to stay at the table and eat their food. It’s a small cafeteria so of course it gets loud fast and the kids are loud, of course. There have been a couple of times that they have run around the place but what do you expect for 3-5yrs old?

We try to go around 1 PM when we have fewer kids anyways. That’s today. We had 6 kids, 1 that got picked up shortly after we got there. The place was pretty empty and as usual, the kids were good. I was told later that we have been asked not to come back to the cafeteria. I was pissed, annoyed, and offended to say the least. How can they do that? How can a public place ask us not to come and eat????? I was upset but the other teacher, who has lived here for 15 years and donated a lot of time to varies groups, was physically upset but it. I don’t get it. What would you have done? I have never been asked not to come back to a place, I have stopped going to places because of the service/food/attitude/etc but it has never happened to me. I don’t know what to do with myself.

Apparently there have been complaints about us. That the kids are out of control, they are loud, and run around. Yes they are loud just as loud as some of the adults in the room, and yes they have run around a few times, but that’s kids for you. I am waiting for the letter saying that we are not to come back. I want to know what these people said, about which kids, days/times the whole nine yards. That is just crazy. I am pissed.