Keeping them safe and healthy

Yesterday,
we had an emergency lockdown,
blinds drawn,
children moved to the far side of the room,
all of us huddled together,
doors locked,
for a reason that proved
oh so minor and trivial
in light of the tragedy that unfolded in Newtown, Connecticut.

Schools experience lockdowns.
Preschoolers experience these.

I want to write about our adult "face" with children at these times.

I'm not talking about Newtown,
where unbelievable pain and horror actually happened,
to so many beautiful, innocent children and families.
My heart breaks.


For most of us,
we experience
almost 
crises.
Such as yesterday at my school.


Here in the Washington, DC area, I have taught preschoolers during many threats, fears, crises:
Tuesday, September 11, 2001.
Three scary weeks in fall 2002, as our area was under siege by a sniper.
Hurricanes.
Earthquake!
Numerous other smaller events.

All of these,

almost 
crises
for my school, my class of preschoolers.

Testing our preparedness.

Throughout all of these, it is so very clear to me -


Adults who have children in their lives
need to put down their computers,
put away their phones,
turn off the television,
do not talk about the horror that has - or might - happen.
Instead,
be present with these little ones,
projecting faces of joy, resilience, strength.

This is what we teachers know to do.

My school's note to families ended with the following directive:

Please contact me directly if you have any questions or concerns. I urge you to take care that all communication regarding this event be limited to adults only and not happen in the presence of children.

Herein lies the key to how we keep children safe and healthy:

Let children have happy childhoods.

Keep them safely buffered from our adult hell.

How?

Let me share from yesterday's lockdown.

We teachers began closing our blinds and curtains.

A child, "Why, Ms. Ingram? Why are you closing those? Are we doing shadow puppets?"

Me - "Oh that would be fun! We might! Let's play a new thing - let's all of us play over here! Ooooh, we could put our chairs like this and make a wall, and all of us stay on this side of it!  That would be fun!"

My entire class moved to the "safe" side of the room, not knowing 'why.'

A game, a delightful, magical, unexpected, different kind of game.

We teachers got down on the floor and played with them.

All of us jammed together.

We talked, laughed, goofed around.

We followed the children's lead - piggybacking off their thoughts, 

What if we were in a movie theater?

What if this was a race track?

What if there were dinosaurs?

No, a bear!

In our house?

I wasn't taking any notes, I can't recall every moment...

Truly, it was one big improv,

caught in the moment,

where whatever idea the children threw at us,

we tried to incorporate, tried to work with,

tried to "play."

Yes, my mind was in two places at once,

wondering about the actual emergency,

and, simultaneously, putting on a 

perfectly positive face and acting totally "present."

When we got word that the crisis was averted, 

we continued playing, and quietly started to enlarge the area of play, back to the norm of the entire classroom.  I truly believe that the children had no idea that there was any "crisis" at all.

Which, I truly believe, means we teachers did our jobs.

All of us adults need to do our jobs.

Let children have happy childhoods.

Keep them safely buffered from our adult hell.

Here's the amazing truth I have come to discover -

I have the very best job in the world. 

When I allow myself to be present with these little ones,

at a time of such unspeakable pain,

when my heart is breaking, 

when the world seems so cruel,

when I allow myself to be present in their play,

it is such a gift.

I am surrounded by children,

immersed in their laughter, hope, and joy.

I hope there is lots of play this weekend.

Lots of hugs and kisses,

laughter and goofiness.

Keeping our precious little ones safe and healthy.

****
Stacey Shubitz shared this beautiful quote from Jordana Horn in her Two Writing Teachers blogpost A National Tragedy Affects Us All:

 If a handful of people can change the world for the worse, then I am certain that a handful of people can change the world for the better