Kindergarten Tolerance






I felt I had an advantage since my sister had already been in Mrs. Dayton’s Kindergarten class two years prior. I knew all about the toys and the fun things we’d do. I couldn’t wait for the first day of school. I confess, as the youngest at home, I was spoiled. I won most of the sisterly spats because I whined more convincingly. But once in school, it wasn’t long before Mrs. Dayton sternly warned me to share the miniature furniture in the dollhouse. I was told I needed to wait patiently in the recess line, play by the rules in classroom games, and not repeat the names kids made up to tease other kids.

About mid-year, as another girl and I faced a frowning Mrs. Dayton, I learned there were two sides to every story, and my side didn’t seem to matter right then. As I went back to my desk, Mrs. Dayton admonished, “Karen, you can be nice even when you don’t get your way.”

On numerous occasions, I carried a note home from Mrs. Dayton. Those notes meant my punishment would extend beyond the classroom. Along with learning numbers, letters, and coloring in the lines, I was learning how to get along with others. Back then it wasn’t called being tolerant of others; it was called obeying the Golden Rule.

Kindergarten wasn’t my humble beginning; it was the beginning of my being humbled. I can look back now and smile, but at the time it took real effort to want to share, to be thoughtful, and play by the rules.

As each school day ended, Mrs. Dayton would march us out to the crosswalk and sternly remind us to stop, look and listen before crossing the street. While I became mindful of streets, eventually I applied that lesson to my life. I learned to stop most of my negative talk, look at others with compassion, and listen with a heart that cares.

Perhaps we need a little more Kindergarten in our political world—getting along with others and yes, playing by the rules. How about our churches? Didn’t Jesus command that we love one another? Intolerance complicates our lives. I still have my final Kindergarten report card. Mrs. Dayton wrote these words: "It's always smart to do your part with a happy heart." Simple enough then, wise advice now.


Popular posts from this blog

Dreaming the Dream

Image
Dreaming big dreams about the future is easy for kids. The only thing standing in the way is time.  Kid’s dreams are not about skills, or opportunities, or even practicality. Those things come much later.  My grandson hopes to be professional soccer player when he grows up. This week, a small piece of his dream came true when his Boys and Girls Club was invited to participate in pre-game activities with the Seattle Sounders Football Club.  He got to suit up in a real jersey and walk on the field with a real pro player. Imagine a young soccer player looking up to who he hopes to be one day. If you haven’t taken the time to talk to a child about their future dreams—you should.  They believe. As we get older we sometimes forget that dreams fuel our hopes—and that's something we all need. So, do you still dream? Or have you left those childhood thoughts behind?  S pending time with children will  inspire you to believe agai
Read more

Sexy Selfies: Posting for attention

Image
We’ve all seen the “selfie” pix on Facebook—those self-taken images in varying forms of dress (or undress). Usually they’re female poses taken in public restrooms, dressing rooms, bedrooms, and lots of what used to be private space. Thanks to selfies and social media, it’s open season on privacy—and modesty. Do you have a social media “friend” who has become a serial selfie? Most often selfies are young girls sharing their sexiness with the world. Serial selfies post hundreds of pictures, so it’s hard to ignore the display. The question is why do they do it. While I don’t approve of the sexy display of serial selfies, insecurity is at the root. Selfies collect “likes” to boost morale. The attention received is like a balm to their broken spirits. But the dark side of exhibitionism is feeling used—not unlike the girl searching for love and giving away her body in hopes of finding love. Selfies seek approval. They're locked in a perpetual cycle of posting pi
Read more

Wild or Tame? Which One Are You?

Image
Finally! Research that explains why I act the way I do. Columbia University’s Motivational Science Center studied people’s activities and what brought them the most happiness. Even more telling were how those activities changed as they aged. Twenty-somethings tend to equate happiness with high-energy activities. Words like excited and ecstatic are usually attached to spontaneous things—even risky things—and living life full throttle.  Researchers labeled this Promotion Motivation —the urge to take chances, including career moves that may not work out. Happiness comes from happenings—the more happenings, the more happiness. By age forty, adults associate happiness with things running smoothly at work and home. It’s also about feeling secure in relationships. Keeping healthy matters more too. This behavior is called Prevention Motivation —and people are more concerned with preserving and maintaining the things they value. It appears that time ofte
Read more