Yet another conflict comes up in the 3 and 4 year olds' class today. This is what happened,

T is visibly upset and is stamping on the floor in anger and tears in her eyes. 
F: What happened? 
She gives no response. After a few moments, she says, "A is not my friend!" 
To which A said with a surprised expression, "That's not true. I am."
T seems surprised. But still crying. 
Suddenly, A jumps in to explain, "She hurt me."
T calmed down and said, "But I said sorry."
"No, she didn't!", said A, defending herself. 
"I said it very softly but", T explained, and stomped off to the corner to cry saying, "I am very upset!" 

Now everybody in the class is quiet and watching the entire thing. 

H and A were sitting next to each other at this point. Suddenly H stands up for the situation, feeling responsible, and tells A, "A get up and go talk to her."

A follows suit. She goes to T and gently tells her, "You say sorry to me."
T doesn't budge. After a few seconds of trials, A looks around and calls everybody to them. Without any more intervention from A, everybody gravitates towards them both and hugs T as a way of consoling her post which T flashed everybody the widest smile. She said sorry to A after this and the entire problem was solved.

When children are shown how problems are solved, they naturally start picking up the habit and show problem solving skills even at the youngest age of 4. When trust is established with them that they are capable individuals who can solve their problems, they reach a whole new level of confidence in themselves with the belief that they are capable of solving their own problems.  They, then show us what anger, crying, distrust and fear can't do - a little bit of love can magically solve!

Contributed by Sruthy Krishna, Learning Facilitator at Sparkling Mindz Global Preschool.

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The Calves, our 3 year olds class, and I started our story time one day in August. Little Engine was the story we picked and all of us sat down in a circle to listen. For our story time, we have a wall full of emotions where children can identify and relate to what the character is feeling as the story progresses. 

Throughout the Little Engine story, children constantly ran over to relate to the emotions. Over the course of the story, children constantly connected with the Little Engine that was stuck in the middle of nowhere as it couldn't go up the mountain to deliver the toys it had promised to the children. Here's how the discussion went:

H (points to the thinking face): It is thinking about going, is stuck. 
(She was talking about how to get the train unstuck, from the train's perspective)
Av: It's scared and shocked. Another big train is coming on the track. 
S: It's happy ma'am. 
F: Why is it happy?
S: Because it's going to give toys to children. 
Aa: Crying, the big engine is not helping it. 
K: Sad. Because the storm is coming. 

Our 3 year olds were exploring emotions and they began to connect emotions to nature. Is Sun happy or sad to play with clouds? Do clouds cover the Sun in anger? What about rainbow - is that a happy sign? Are moon and sun friends? The wonder never ceases in their world, nor do their connections....a sample conversation is shared below.

Ab (smiling at the facilitator): The sun is happy ma'am.
F: Why is the sun happy?
T: Because the sun is behind a tree and it is happy.
An: No it is sad. Because the clouds come in front of him. They are all angry clouds.
F: Why are they angry?
H: Because they are dark. Rain is coming.
An: Yeah, the sun is angry because there are so many clouds in front of the sun and it is hiding.
<Everybody goes into a pensive mood>
F: Ok. Looks like we have interesting things to think and wonder about. How about we all go upstairs and wonder at the sun and other things that are up there? We can even wonder which emotion the sun and the clouds are having. Would you like that?
S, T, An, Aa, Ab, H: Yes ma'am. 
F: Ok. Let's put a sticky note here and write it down. This week let's find some time and go upstairs to look!

Emotions of the sun, sky, clouds:
The children were taken upstairs to watch the sky and wonder about the various emotions they might be feeling.
Aa: I can see the sky
K: I see the sun ma'am
Ab: Ma'am , I can see the clouds
F: Very nice! How do you think the sun is feeling?
Collectively: Happy
Av: Because he is out today and he is not sick
<Collectively spot clouds>
F: How do you think the clouds are feeling today?
H & K: Happy, good.
H (changing her mind in an instant): I don't know.
F: Where is the moon then?
H: No, it's too far we cannot see it.
Av: No, the moon and the stars will come only in the night
F: Why?
Av: Because I saw a book like that in the office yesterday
They all came around, sat in a circle to watch the sky.
H: I see sky and sun
S: Sun is sick ma'am
F: Why?
An (consoling S as he is getting upset): No see, the sun is feeling so happy. He is on us.
Av (adding some love and care): Because see he won't get sick today.

As children explore emotions through nature and make connections they generally tend to project how they feel, learn to express it, work with each other's emotions, respond to it and even present other perspectives for the same situation - building emotional range and flexibility. 

Children represented in visual form the feelings they felt during the sky watch. It is generally very illustrative to watch them represent their feelings through colours and motion. 

The emotions came pouring onto paper through strokes and colours and left indelible marks on their minds. We continue this discussion on emotions on another day, with another set of natural elements...wondering what they will pour next, connect next?



Contributed by Sruthy Krishna, Learning Facilitator at Sparkling Mindz Global Preschool.