When I'm a grown-up, sometimes I turn back into a kid.
When Johann says, When I’m a grown-up… he speaks for all the children’s need to be big and capable, able to take care of someone or something, which we address in the first part of this post. When he continues: …sometimes I turn back into a kid, he reminds us that he and the rest of the children are still little and need caring for. We look at this in the second part of the post.
I'm taking care of it
Jamie’s baby needed a diaper change. He brings his baby with him over to the table and gently places the baby on its back. He manages to get his baby out of her messy clothes.
Henry’s baby also pooped and he has to change the diaper.
Livia brings over a baby, Diane gives it a hug. Livia explains that it wants its mommy (she is the mommy). Stella says she is the daddy of a different baby.
Chris Henry’s baby pooped, right?
Henry We have to do even more buttons. Open more buttons.
Henry is working hard to take the onesie off of the baby. Wesley is sitting next to Henry and offers some help.
Wesley Oh, you have to do arms!
Henry This is her belly button, this is her body.
Wesley No, you have to do the arms.
Henry pauses to hug the baby.
Henry, you’re taking care of that baby.
Chris Henry’s baby pooped.
Kesler holds his summer book while watching this play closely.
Stella brings over a blue blanket
Henry A shirt. What is this?
Wesley It’s a blanket.
Henry Can you put that on the baby?
You want some help? Sure.
Henry Where are the diapers? Look at this one, this one got dirty from poop.
Stella brings over more fabric from the baby area and drops it in front of Henry A towel if the baby needs to take a bath. Henry, if the baby wants to dry, that is a towel for the baby.
Henry Okay. Can you put the blanket on the baby?
Livia brings over a cloth basket: This is the bathtub. (Henry accepts it and puts the baby into the bathtub)
Henry Right now she needs to grow up, and she grew up little. She needs to grow up. Can you put the dress on him?…Now we need to give her the blanket.
Johann stops by and watches, informing them: We have a real baby.
Henry I’m taking care of it.
Wesley has brought two babies over to the floor. He changes their clothes and gets them ready for bed.
He rocks the baby in the bed and then tells us,
He's sleeping! Be quiet!
Taking care of others
Ellie: I’m helping Jamie. There. Not too hot.
Jamie: I already washed my hands for snack. I already did wash my hands.
Ellie: I have to roll up my sleeves.
Livia: Can I have soap?
Ellie: Sure. I‘ll pass it to you…here. Not too much, ok?
Jamie: I’m wearing a t-shirt. My haircut.
Livia: Too hot. It’s getting a little hot now.
Ellie: It’s warm. It’s warm.See? It’s warm.
Jamie: My haircut.
Jack: My haircut had trains! It have a real trains. My haircut had trains.
Livia: I just washed my hands.
Sometimes I turn back into a kid
Many children are asking for books to be read throughout our morning together. We are often comforted by the repetition and predictability of hearing favorite stories read aloud. These books have become an important part of our time together, each illustrating human or animal characters that are missing their primary caregivers and the emotions that may stir up. We are learning how to cope with these big feelings and can relate to the questions and comments from the characters in the literature.
Ellie: He’s shouting. I think he wants his mommy. I want my mommy. She’s gonna be back soon. He says hug.
Livia: The giraffes are hugging.
Stella: I want my mommy.
Livia: I want my mommy!
Ellie: I’m going to Sarah’s house and do camp.
Livia: The hippos are hugging.
Ellie: And now he’s sad. He’s already crying.
Kesler: Happy now!
Johann: Happy.
Kesler: Happy!
Kesler: I want to find grandma.
Elliot: I want mommy. I want outside.
Chris I’ll write ‘my mommy’ down.
Johann He’s (the baby bird) walking. He’ll fall… I’m a baby rabbit. Birds don’t have hands.
Stella They have wings.
Johann They have mouths.
What else do they have?
Kesler Teeth.
Stella Cats have teeth. (on the page where there is a cat)
Johann And they have claws. Cats have claws.
Stella And they have eyes and a tail.
Jamie joins What’s gonna happen now? Maybe Johann’s mom is gonna come in.
Wesley What happened to that vehicle?
Stella There are some teeth (on the “snort” vehicle)
Wesley Cats don’t have teeth.
