There is nothing stronger than the mother-child bond. No child can raise our ire as much as our own kid. That's because they are ours, a reflection of us and everything we stand for. Today was Mom's Tea Party at preschool. The kids anxiously anticipated their mothers' arrivals. Some of the moms were as giddy as the kids. I always have a box of tissues available, because the children draw portraits of their moms and dictate stories about them. Some moms laugh or cry so hard they shed a tear when they read that their child thinks they are 16 or 89. The kids rat out their moms on everything; they imagine what her wedding was like, and go as far as telling me what THEY did "forty years" ago at their mom's wedding. Some even tell me what their moms do with their dads now. I write it verbatim (as they say it). Believe me, kids tell it the way they hear it and see it.
The happy tears shed today won't compare to the sad tears, the worry and heartache tears that these moms will shed over (and because of) their son or daughter through the years.
Children read long before they learn letters. They read our facial expressions. The narrowing of an eye, the raising of an eyebrow are the same in all languages, but if they're YOUR mom's, there is nuance in that expression that only your child can detect. Just as you recognized your newborn's cry over all the other babies, a child's mom detector kicks in right from birth.
As I looked around at all these moms and their offspring, I realized that we worry so much about tomorrow, we forget to enjoy today. The afternoon class performance started off on a good note. The kids sang and recited poems and fingerplays. Then midway, one by one, they started. "I have to go to the bathroom." Seriously! We had to stop the show for a potty break. It was a teachable moment. A time to laugh. I demonstrated that it's more important to go with the flow, than to sweat the small stuff.
10 comments:
Oh Linda, that was a great post. What lovely memories you made for the moms and children! Congratulations. Sincerely, Susan
True observations, all. Thanks for a great post. It brought back some memories, too.
How sweet that you had a tea party for the mom's. I still have a book that my youngest made. The pages were preprinted and the child filled in the blank. I love my mom because ... My mom loves me because... My mom is the best at... I can't remember them all, but the last one said, My mom is not good at... and my daughter wrote "boyfriends or husbands". That cracked me up.
Hi Susan,
The best memory came as a surprise to me. One of the moms said, "Amazing! I made one of these for my mom when I was in preschool nearly twenty years ago." We discovered that I had been her teacher also. How fun is that?
Lisa,
I sit and print their stories as the children dictate on 12"x 17" paper, so by the time I am finished with fifty-five students, I have hand cramps. But it is so rewarding for all involved. I have visited houses where these mom and dad stories are still on display, thirty years later.
Lynn,
That is too funny!!! Kids are so observant and intuned to us. Out of the mouths of babes!
Kids are brutally honest. They tell it like they see it, since their "filters" haven't really developed yet. This can be quite funny...and sometimes, quite embarrassing!
Pat
www.critteralley.blogspot.com
I'm glad I came back here because I remember trying to leave a comment on Thursday and my computer froze up...again...and my comment got "lost"! So, I'll try to leave a shorter version! Linda you are a wonderful teacher, and you have the best job in the world!....Helping to mold those little minds and give the parents such wonderful, written memories!
Pat, Oh yeah kids can be brutally honest. I asked each why their dad chose their mom, and one girl said,"He didn't want to marry her; she made him." When I read that aloud, five moms said, "Was it my child?" I had to laugh.
Becky,
Thanks. I do my best, but some of these little guys put me to the test. That wasn't supposed to be a rhyme, but it's true. I do love my job and feel blessed to have been able to do exactly what I wanted the way I wanted, all these years.
Post a Comment