Ms. Angel and I were talking about some scheduling difficulties. The children were organizing themselves for Sesame Street (aka nap time, they doze off about half way through). I could hear Chaz talking. I’d been hearing him talking all day — pretty much nonsense — so I had him tuned out.
It slowly penetrated my consciousness that Chaz was saying, “Excuse me,” over and over and over, and sounding more and more impatient with each repetition. I turned to look at him. He was sitting up on his mat. His pillow awaited his head and his blanket covered his legs. Nobody appeared to be too close to him. In fact, nobody appeared to be paying him any mind at all.
“Chaz,” I said in my best no nonsense voice, “What is your problem?”
Chaz, still seated, plunked his hands on his hips, jutted out his chin and said, “You is in frond of da T.B.!”
Light dawns. “Oh! Excuse me!” I say, and move.
Chaz lays back, heaves a heavy sigh and pulls his blanket to his chin. “All bedda now,” he says.
Excuse me. Don’t block Big Bird.
Was Chaz trying to tell you “you make a better door than a window” (I mean this in the nicest way).
Awwww… polite little goober! Y’done good Quilly!
Nessa — indeed. How dare I.
Bill — yeah, that or, “Your daddy was no glass maker.”
Melli — While we do reinforce manners in class, the people of this island are very big on polite and most kids seem to be born knowing, at the very least, please and thank you. In our classroom it is a milestone that Chaz stayed in his bed and used his voice, rather than getting up and saying excuse me while shoving me out of the way.
“You make a better door than a window” that was our favorite statement to solve this home situation
apparently, you’re not as interesting as sesame street
Pauline — see Bill’s line and my comment above.
Polona — somehow I don’t consider that a flaw …..
He knows his manners. This is a big plus!
Anyone in my daughter’s preschool class would have howled and screamed in the same situation. Island kids are definately learning something at home and school.
Mumma — yes, it has kept me from killing him a couple of times …
Kat — we don’t respond to the yelling and screaming. We just repeat like myna birds, “Use your words. Say, excuse me,” until they give up and comply.