Sep 15, 2011

life lessons from a toddler

Every day at preschool, the same thing happens. One of the boys grabs his Darth Vader backpack (a very treasured item) and runs to the kiddie gate by the door to look down the hall for his mother. This particular incidence occurs like clockwork. Ten, fifteen, twenty minutes before his mother even arrives. Sometimes it happens almost an hour before she strides down the hall to his screams of joy.
Every time he hangs himself mournfully over the gate I try to distract him with Legos or the train-set. With the joy of play. I rarely manage to pry him from the gate with words alone. Sometimes I have to pick him up and set him down in the middle of all the toys to show him how much fun he could be having.
I think to myself Why doesn't he understand that he could be having so much fun instead of crying over by the gate? His mom will come at the same time anyway.
I caught myself thinking this today and then realized that I do the exact same thing. How often am I like him, hanging over the gate and obsessing over something that hasn't happened yet while I could be playing with Legos and coloring (ie. enjoying the moment for what it is)?
The revelation was a bit humbling. It also made me much more sympathetic to my student's predicament. Like I said before, working with kids really teaches you things/gives you a whole different perspective on life.

Also, news will be officially unveiled/revealed early next week!! Ah! I'm itching so badly to reveal it, but I must wait until the proper time.
I'm going to go build a (figurative) Lego castle now.

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