Big Emotions and Loose Parts
Today we had three littles come in the gate struggling. What can we expect after Halloween and then a church night ? Hopefully everyone will get some extra snoozes tonight. BIG emotions give us opportunities to practice our craft – Conscious Discipline. I wish you guys could be a fly on the wall sometime and see what happens when teachers stop policing the classroom and allowing children to work out problems. All over the place we heard :
I don’t like it when you….
My heart is broken…
I had that first. Give it back.
I will let you know when we are finished with it.
Of course they still come to us from time to time ( a few of them ) and say ” Ms Debbie .. she…. ” and we reply ” Did you like it ? ” and try to help them from there learn to resolve the issue. It takes courage to stand up for yourself.. even as as adult. I am glad we are teaching our littles to be their own little bully prevention squad. 🙂
Since emotions were all over the place , highs and lows , we decided to stay outside for an extended period . The weather is AMAZING .
Being outside gives us a lot more space to learn, run and play and be apart from each other if that is what needs to happen. This my friends is a huge difference and advantage of family childcare. No one tells us when we can go outside and for how long. We don’t share our outdoor space with anyone else. We can listen to the cues from our kiddos on what they need.
Longer periods of play without interruption leads to deeper play and conversation and relationship building among our preschool family. I went live on Facebook today so you could hear and see the playing that was happening. It is incredible if you stop and listen.
Look at all the many parts these creations have .
Isn’t it incredible ?!! Not once did anyone say they were bored. They thought. They planned. They played. I’m not sure I got a good picture but at one point they figured out if they put the spongy rock lookalike blocks under a board they could bounce like a trampoline.
From Community Play Things :Loose parts possess infinite play possibilities. They offer multiple rather than single outcomes: no specific set of directions accompanies them; no single result is inevitable. Unlike a jigsaw puzzle, whose pieces are meant to be fitted together in a specific way to make a single picture, loose parts can be joined in many ways. A scarf, for example, can become a blanket to swaddle a baby, a platform for a picnic, a fishing pond, a cover for a fort, or a veil covering the face of a bride.
This afternoon – before I jump in the car to head to Little Rock again – Bright Beginnings is hosting a child development associates credential class in our family child care home. We told the kids they would have visitors in their space after school and asked them to thoughtfully help pick up and prepare. They also helped create a welcome sign.
We ended our day with a picnic outside. Thank you Lord for a beautiful day and thank you for BIG emotions. What would the world be like without them ?