So I gave in today. I'm guilty! I gave in under the pressure, (LOL) peer pressure.
The sky was cloudy and I could feel rain drawing close. I knew it was time to leave the park and I wanted the kids to line up quickly. Lord knows, I didn't want to get caught with a downpour and a group of students walking back to the school.
Me: Ok, it's time to line up.
Student: But I don't want to go. I want to play more.
Me: Hmmm. I remember talking about being a good listener. If you remember what I said, you should be lining up. I know you want to play but we must go.
Student: No, I want to keep playing.
Me: That's too bad. I will only take good listeners that line up really fast to the park tomorrow. When it gets cold and when we can't go to the park, I can take all the great listeners on a field trip to a special place.
Student: Be quiet everybody, Ms. Angie is taking us to the circus tomorrow.
My heart skipped a beat and my mind was like, "What? Now when did I say that?"
Kids start jumping up and down and cheering as we start walking.
Me: I didn't say I'm taking you to the circus tomorrow. I said, When it gets colder, we will go on a field trip. But, no, sorry, not today or tomorrow.
Student: I'm afraid of clowns. Do I have to touch the clowns?
Me: I'm sorry you're afraid of clowns. Maybe we can talk about it later and you'll see they're pretty cool. We're not going to the circus. Let's walk quickly. Looks like rain is coming.
Student: When I was little, (ok, really?) my mom took me to the circus.
Me: Wow. That's wonderful. Let's keep walking.
Student1: Are we going to see the elephants?
Me: Maybe one day but not today or tomorrow. We have to hurry.
Student1: When I was little (ok, he's only 4, but anyways) I touched an elephant's nose.
Student2: You're a liar. Elephants don't have a nose, they have a trunk.
Me: You're smart to know they have trunks but no one here is a liar. Let's use good words, happy words so that all our friends can be happy.
Student: Hooray! Ms Angie is happy because we're going to the circus! We're going right now everybody!
Me: Yes, we'll go one day but not today or tomorrow. Let's get ready to cross the street. We're going back to school. I've planned some fun things to do when we get back.
Student: When we get to the school we're going to the circus?
Me: No sweetie. Not today. I'll let you know when we can go to the circus.
Students: Hooray! We CAN go to the circus! You see, I told you!
Children start to dance and chant: "We're going to the circus! We're going to the circus!"
OK, so after feeling defeated after trying to get them to understand the whole "today, tomorrow, in the future concept", I must admit, I am guilty as charged. I decided to no longer fight it.
( Well, if you can't beat them, join them)
It didn't matter if we were going today, tomorrow, when I turn one hundred or if an elephant has a nose or a trunk. What matters is that no matter what I say, they're convinced, we're on our way to the circus. So, being the crazy me and can be at times, I joined in the song and we walked for about nine blocks, singing at the top of our lungs,
"We're going to the circus! We're going to the circus!' To the tune of Everybody Conga, join along, "We're going to the circus!"
#preschool
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