This is a lousy photo but it does confirm my sincere efforts in grandmother training. I was so engrossed in reading “There’s Only One You” to Emily, Chloe, Ethan, and Jake I didn’t even realize Paige took a picture. But just look at these cute kids/guinea pigs I can practice my grandmothering skills on!
My grandmother training is just an avocation, but as hobbies go, it’s a fun one! There’s no ad hoc schedule for training, just hit or miss moments when little munchkins might linger after group runs.
For instance, this storytime followed some rambunctious havoc in the playroom. The little people were unsupervised (my bad), while the runners enjoyed some adult conversation upstairs.
Of course, when you don’t hear children for a few minutes, the quiet is generally not a good sign. Quiet usually equates to mischief making. And sure enough, the little people had upended the humongous table filled with Jelly Belly’s and strewn them everywhere. It wasn’t a epic disaster, like say, permanent markers adorning the walls, so it could certainly have been a lot worse.
Plus, the Jelly Belly stash was probably due to retire or purge anyway. So, the ruckus in the playroom provided the perfect window of opportunity. And the kids even helped pick up hundreds of Jelly Belly’s and we tossed everything.
So, what is the lesson (besides supervision) this grandmother apprentice learned from the experience?
Well, I happened to notice how the energy of little people can feed off each other. If one child in a room is fairly manageable, you simply bring in a second and silly behavior might begin. Add a third and it isn’t just tripled, the chaos grows exponentially. Four or more kids together and all heck can break loose.
In adults we might call this behavior “herd mentality” or “mob rule.” But the psychology when it pertains to kids is much more adorable. But, just to practice my best grandmothering, I did decide to supervise a little better after the Jelly Belly incident, hence the storytime. Ah, practice makes perfect!
