Tuesday, August 5, 2008

hissy fits (and library emergencies)

today 5 different children i work with had hissy fits.

one was a silent fit, refusing to move, smiling while she defied me and refused to follow instructions.

one was from being overwhelmed with stimuli, overwhelmed with being in school, and overwhelmed with new routines, new teachers, new kids. it involved sprinting into the hallway and sprinting back into the room, never in danger, but always out of reach of authority.

two were from being denied a chance to go to the house keeping center. one boy silently cried while he was re-directed to another center, but the other, who up until today had been a silent angel, lost it. he cried so hard we were worried he was going to make himself sick. we thrust a trashcan in front of him, tried to distract him with a read-aloud, and tried to calm him and help him understand that he'd have to wait until tomorrow to take his turn. later, when his mom called the classroom teacher, she wanted to know what a turn was. poor boy, and poor mom, confused at the language we're using and wondering why we're being so demanding about this 'turn' concept in kindergarten.

and then there was my new good friend. who wanted to take his library book home but wasn't allowed. his tears came (along with snot running down his face dripping onto my pants) as he pulled and tugged at me, yelling, stomping his feet, pouting, and crying. at one point i leaned into the hallway and called to clairvoy to "go get a librarian!" it was a library emergency! wanting someone with authority to explain to him that he could not take his book home, i was desperate for someone who may distract him from his quest to put HIS book in HIS book bag.

i don't think i've ever called for a librarian in an emergency before, but it was certainly fun to do. we need more emergencies librarians can fix.

i am tired, sipping wine, and wondering about how our little ones will fair tomorrow. hopefully we have to get through the hissy fits just once for them to know they don't work, no amount of tears, stomping or screaming will earn them their desires.

i always think of where the wild things are at this time of year. i just want to laugh and shout, "let the wild rumpus begin!"

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