Today at school during free play there were three little girls two of which I noted kept walking then rushing away from the third (we'll call her Laura Jean).
Go away, Laura Jean!
Stop following us, Laura Jean!
Noooooooooooooooo! Laaaura Jean! Leave us alone! We don't like you!
I called the two over and asked Laura Jean to take a seat elsewhere for a few minutes and explained to the two girls that they had two options, be kind and include Laura Jean or sit in time out on opposite sides of the room until they could be kind and include others.
Minie Grey spoke up first "But we don't like her! We're trying to have some alone time!"
"I'm sorry," I said, "but you can't exclude her it isn't kind or respectful. That's my rule be kind and respectful."
"Miss Vicki, it isn't really, I mean the thing that we're doing is really about us." Added in Suzy Silvy, "we feel in our hearts that we don't like her and we want alone time."
"I'm sorry." I said, "But we need to be kind to one another because it's good practice for later in life. You can still choose to sit in time out, or you can choose to be kind to Laura Jean and included her. What will it be?"
Suzy Silvy looked like she wanted to argue her point farther but slowly said she would choose to be kind and then Mini Grey followed suit.
Things I really wanted to say...
1. You feel in your heart? You feel - it in. your. heart. Mmm. You know your heart is really an organ pumping blood, right? You know your feelings change every five minutes, right?
2. Uh-oh, somebody's been watching too many Disney movies! Can we sing Frozen and this will be all over?
3. Love is a choice. Just like Jesus choose to love us and die on the cross for people who hated Him so we ought to love those around us.
The third option would have been a great choice seeing that I do work at a church preschool. But I caved to the fear that that would be manipulative and give them a messed up view of Jesus. Looking back on the fear that stopped me I wish I hadn't caved because I think it would have been a correct way to think about Jesus.
There are people I run into in my church family that when we make eye contact I think, "Oh please don't come to talk to me! Please just stay over there, we can just smile and nod!" and I'll make a mad dash out of sight as soon as my nod is done! But when they do come over I'm reminded that Jesus made a choice to die and rise from the grave for me. Jesus probably didn't feel it in His heart to love me. But He chose love above all other loves and He chose kindness out of His gracious being.
Go away, Laura Jean!
Stop following us, Laura Jean!
Noooooooooooooooo! Laaaura Jean! Leave us alone! We don't like you!
I called the two over and asked Laura Jean to take a seat elsewhere for a few minutes and explained to the two girls that they had two options, be kind and include Laura Jean or sit in time out on opposite sides of the room until they could be kind and include others.
Minie Grey spoke up first "But we don't like her! We're trying to have some alone time!"
"I'm sorry," I said, "but you can't exclude her it isn't kind or respectful. That's my rule be kind and respectful."
"Miss Vicki, it isn't really, I mean the thing that we're doing is really about us." Added in Suzy Silvy, "we feel in our hearts that we don't like her and we want alone time."
"I'm sorry." I said, "But we need to be kind to one another because it's good practice for later in life. You can still choose to sit in time out, or you can choose to be kind to Laura Jean and included her. What will it be?"
Suzy Silvy looked like she wanted to argue her point farther but slowly said she would choose to be kind and then Mini Grey followed suit.
Things I really wanted to say...
1. You feel in your heart? You feel - it in. your. heart. Mmm. You know your heart is really an organ pumping blood, right? You know your feelings change every five minutes, right?
2. Uh-oh, somebody's been watching too many Disney movies! Can we sing Frozen and this will be all over?
3. Love is a choice. Just like Jesus choose to love us and die on the cross for people who hated Him so we ought to love those around us.
The third option would have been a great choice seeing that I do work at a church preschool. But I caved to the fear that that would be manipulative and give them a messed up view of Jesus. Looking back on the fear that stopped me I wish I hadn't caved because I think it would have been a correct way to think about Jesus.
There are people I run into in my church family that when we make eye contact I think, "Oh please don't come to talk to me! Please just stay over there, we can just smile and nod!" and I'll make a mad dash out of sight as soon as my nod is done! But when they do come over I'm reminded that Jesus made a choice to die and rise from the grave for me. Jesus probably didn't feel it in His heart to love me. But He chose love above all other loves and He chose kindness out of His gracious being.
