A couple of weeks ago the Preschoolers came into the classroom after morning play outdoors. Sitting on a chair was a poorly looking little bear! He was covered in dirt, was holding a crumpled tissue and his leg was torn. The children immediately expressed concern for our new friend.
Mrs. Rachel picked him up gently and started asking the children a few questions. What happened to him? “He’s dirty,” said one child. “Look at his leg. It’s broken,” noticed another. Why does he have a tissue? “Oh, no! He’s crying” – sighed one girl sadly. How is he feeling? He’s sad” – thought one boy.
“How can we make him feel better? How can we take care of him?” asked Mrs. Rachel. “Hug” – called someone putting out their arms. “Kiss” – said another. “Give him a bath” – suggested another. “Put a band aid on his leg” – two cried out at the same time.
What a caring group of Preschoolers we have!
We gave him the name Mr. Bear and the children decided we should take care of him. We gave him a bath, dried him off and hung him out to dry. Ms. Rachel performed surgery on his leg and some of the children stayed nearby, offering hugs and kisses for support. The children were really gentle with him, being especially careful of his mended leg.
The plan now is for each child to have a turn at taking Mr. Bear home with them for a few nights – taking care of him and taking photos to document their special time with him. Some children have already had a turn and have been excellent carers! They have given him lots of love and are learning how to care for others.
