There are a lot of things I should have done differently this morning. I could write a week’s worth of blog posts about it.
We went to my cousin’s baptism at a nearby church. It is not our regular church, and although Isaac (3) has been there before, he probably didn’t remember it. Isaac has also been crabby the past few days, and doesn’t like crowds. Add that to the fact that I was not well-prepared this morning and we were running late, and the end result was slightly disastrous.
When my class went on a field trip, or was participating in another special event, like Career Day or Track and Field Day, I was always very careful to explain what was going to happen and the behavior I expected from them.
“When we go to the gym for the assembly, I expect you to sit quietly and listen to the speaker. If you cannot do that, you will end up sitting by me.”
“On the bus, you need to sit in your seat. You can not switch seats while the bus is moving, and be sure not to distract the driver. That means no throwing things, yelling, or rough-housing of any kind.”
And I should have done that today.
“We’re going to a different church today to see Gianna and Jaxon get baptized! We will sit by Grandma and Grandpa in the pew, and I packed some toys and crayons for you. Remember, we have to whisper in church, okay?”
Just a quick explanation of what is going on and a couple of behavioral guidelines might have helped immensely. When you are going somewhere or doing something unfamiliar, take a few seconds to think about the behavior you expect and discuss it with your kiddos. Because an ounce of prevention is priceless.
(This post is part of a Secrets from a Teacher to Make You a Better Parent, a part of the write31days.com challenge. The best way to keep up with this series is to subscribe via email here.)
Oh my. You're hitting on all the teacher / parenting secrets that I need to remember! I'm glad you were able to attend your cousin's baptism. We recently missed our nephew's because he lives a 12 hour drive away. Still, we give thanks for God's gift of baptism!
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