Daily life, 58

Kindergarten Music:

Me OK, everyone--you did such a great job on everything! I have these nifty stickers, if you'd like to have some. I'll call you up, a few kids at a time, so that you can choose which ones you'd like.

Moments later, after everyone had chosen their stickers and put the stickers in their 'cubbies':

Varnya*: Ms N, I got the stickers with the flowers by mistake. I wanted the stickers with the bugs but I got the stickers with the flowers.

Me: Varnya, I'm helping someone else right now. Give me a minute to fix this, OK?

Seconds later:

Varnya*: Ms N, I got the stickers with the flowers by mistake. I wanted the stickers with the bugs but I got the stickers with the flowers.

Me: Varnya, I heard you the first time. I'm almost done with Thomas*, can you wait just a minute and then we'll figure it out?

About ten seconds later:

Varnya*: But Ms N, I got the stickers with the flowers by mistake. I wanted the stickers with the bugs but I got the stickers with the flowers.

Me: OK, Varnya. I hear you. Whatever's out there is what's available--you can go ahead and change for the other stickers if you want. It's fine by me.

Varnya* (with an exasperated, frustrated look): But Ms N, I got the stickers with the flowers by mistake. I wanted the stickers with the bugs but I got the stickers with the flowers.

Me: Hmm. Well, it looks as though there are no bug stickers left. I'm sorry about that, honey. Can you swap with another child?

Varnya* (really frustrated now): But Ms N, you're not listening! I got the stickers with the flowers by mistake. I wanted the stickers with the bugs, but I got the stickers with the flowers.

At this point, I was getting frustrated as well. She was starting to cry from frustration.

Me: Varnya, I guess I don't really understand what you're trying to tell me. Can you show me what you're talking about?

She held out two rows of stickers--one of bugs, one of flowers.

Me: Oh! You got BOTH. Are you asking me what you should do with the ones with the flowers?

She nodded.

Me: Well, you can put them back in the pile. Perhaps someone else will want them.
I'm sorry that I didn't understand you the first time. That must've been frustrating.

She nodded again.
Me: It was frustrating for me, too. We're all set now, though, right?

She nodded, gave me a big hug, and put the flower stickers back in the pile.


*Varnya is, of course, not this fair-minded student's real name. (Nor is Thomas her friend's name.)