Today I had to field the question “Why isn’t that book (Are You My Mother?-a classic) called My Mother You Is?” This little five year old wasn’t joking and it was a sincerely puzzling question. I have to answer some odd, unusual, and even really enlightening questions as a preschool teacher. Today was my five year anniversary at my job, and it was sort of a disaster (thankfully).
Today was a hot mess of terrible, toxic back and forth with my preschool class. In reflection, though…today is why I do love spending time with kids. They won’t take your shit. They just won’t have it. They won’t talk back or give you attitude like adults will (or get their feelings hurt and hold a grudge), but if you are in a bad mood they can take that bet and double it.
Today was just an off day for me, I was grumpy, distracted, and impatient….they gave it back to me—15 times over. Their bad moods fed off of my bad mood, and vice versa.
It’s kind of nice though, to have a mirror for my attitude…each day, for the past five years, I’ve been surrounded by kids who both love me enough and aren’t tainted by social demands yet to reject anything but my best attitude and outlook.
Becca Kello 