Wild

Yesterday, I learned that it's not a good idea to wear pigtails around 2 and 3 year olds.

Before leaving the house to go to church and help teach the 2 and 3 year old class, I carefully fixed 2 pigtails in my hair. I kept adjusting them in order to get them even in the back.

Well, after class was over, it's hard to tell what the back of my head looked like....hahaha! My earrings were also in question during the class. Either way, it kept the wild ones occupied and I didn't have to get up and grab them to put them back in their seats. I found myself somewhat allowing the kids to mess with my earrings and pigtails just for the sake of teaching them to stay in their seats.

I am positive that the two kids I was wrestling didn't learn a thing from the bible lesson the teacher was presenting to the kids. The other kids learned something from the lesson though, because I sacrificed myself to the 2 disruptive ones. ;)

The two I was dealing with learned something too. Only I was the one teaching them. The little boy is learning each week how to treat girls. He's learning to be gentle when he touches them. He has a fascination with hair. As he touches the hair of the little girl next to him, I tell him to be easy and so he is. I also say "pretty hair" and he smiles. So, does the little girl. I teach him not to hit....especially girls.

The little girl isn't so sure she wants to be touched at all and tends to reject anything someone does to her at first. After a while, she gets use to it and it becomes a game. She will do everything you do to her only she'll do it harder. You patting her pretty hair becomes a slap in the head for you!

A few weeks ago, I decided to set the two wild kids next to each other to see what would happen. I sit right behind both them each week and hug and kiss on them while telling them that they are being a good girl/boy. They both respond very well to how I treat them and I have noticed a tremendous change in how they behave and how well they mind me when I tell them to do something. They are doing SO well and I brag on them everytime they do something right. They are all smiles when I do this and it causes them to want to do more good things.

Whether my pigtails are pulled or my earrings are yanked on.... Whether my hand catches spit up fish crachers combined with spit...... Whether I get bit or hit in the head.... Whether my legs hurt from the position I must sit in on the floor in order to maintain some kind of order with the kids in the classroom............... I love children!



Lessons learned from the 2 and 3 year old class:

You've got to be quick and ready for anything.
You've got to be careful because you never know when a child is going to decide that you need a slap in the face.
Don't wear pigtails unless you want your hair pulled.
Children respond well to positive remarks from adults.
Some things can't be taught in a book....unless it's the bible.
Change will happen and it's always exciting to see it in a child.
Patience, consistancy, firmness and calmness is key to working with young children.
You have to really love children to subject yourself to such treatment as you will receive in a group of little ones. :)