Beauty in Getting Along

I just finished watching my grandchildren for several days while their parents were out of town. I guess I had more energy when I was younger. :-) Caring for young children takes a lot of energy. I remember the comedian, Bill Cosby, once said, "People with only one child aren't real parents. They never had to hear, 'She's looking at me.' or 'He touched me.'" It takes effort to keep the peace when you have small children or are in charge of young children. Several years ago I was involved with a grant that concentrated on using social emotional strategies to avoid negative behaviors in the preschool classroom. It was great to watch teachers set up their classrooms and organize the day in ways that encouraged positive behaviors. I am so lucky that my grandchildren are well-behaved. However, I tried one strategy with them while they were staying at my house. I made a visual schedule for the day. It was funny how that seemed to please the kids and help them understand how the day was going to progress. Hmmm...it even worked at home. As my granddaughter said about the flowers in our yard, "It is beautiful when everything in a plant gets along." It is beautiful when a group of children get along.