Respect

I’ve always said you don’t have to like someone, but you must try your best to show her or him respect.

There are three boys and three girls in each of my playgroups, and the groups run on a school schedule. One day, after the kids had been meeting here for about six months, two of the girls were playing together and the third came up and asked to join in.  One of the girls said, “No.”  All three were quiet and just looked at each other.  This opened up the opportunity for one of those “teaching moments.”  I sat with them and asked each of the “no” girls how she would feel if she had been rejected – simplifying the language a bit.   One girl said she wouldn’t care.  This was not the answer I was looking for!  I smiled and joked with her that of course she would care.  Her answer was consistent with her personality and so didn’t surprise me.  The other little girl put her finger to her chin, looked up at the ceiling and said, “Ok, she can play with us”.  I said, “Great!” and left the scene immediately. Not only was it unbelievably adorable, they all started playing together without missing a beat.  I treasure these moments.  This is one story among many that illustrates how I hope to affect the children in my playgroups.