Adventures in Preschool

For obvious reasons the names and places have been changed.

I have been a preschool teacher for five years. the following is a story from two years ago when I was with the 3 year olds.

It was right after nap time. That is always the craziest time of day for me. between the kiddos in the bathroom arguing over who got there first and who need to go more to the ones trying to put their mats away. The few who didn't fall asleep until the very end of naptime trying to get a last few minuets of sleep in or pretending to stay asleep were always a joy and a half to try and get up. Luckily for me I had learned long ago to get the snack ready before hand. we were having cheese and crackers that day. Ann was the baby of the group. She had just turned three the week before and I had a sneaky suspicion that her parents had been feeding her cake in the morning for breakfast. she was as neurotic as a small dog with out the peeing all over herself. She was also the slowest eater in the whole class. Inevitably as everyone else was finishing up there second helping and throwing away their cups and napkins she piped up

"Ms.M...can I please have some more crackers?"

I gave myself a mental pat on the back...she never used please before!

I smiled and turned to the tin where we stored the saltines...only to find that it was empty. The older kids had finished them off!

I broke out into a cold sweat and began to feel faint. She had been polite and said pleas...and I had already told her yes. This sweet angelic little girl would soon turn into Godzilla when I told her no. Toys would be thrown and the shear hi pitch scream of her voice would shatter the glass in the windows of our classroom...I was pretty sure she would be able breath fire as well. I had seen her at her angriest. I took a deep breath and turned to deliver the bad news when it seemed fate intervened.

"Never mind Ms. M. I have some in my panties."

I spun around to see her pull two crackers out of her pants and begin nibbling on them delicately as if the were tea cakes...she was always very proper.

"Ann! Why did you have crackers in you underwear?!?!"

I know I know...I should have told her not to eat them...but I was flabbergasted and honestly this was the first thing that came to my mind.

*sigh* "because Ms.M...I was saving them."

"Why?!?!"

"for later"

of course...why in the world didn't I think of that!

Happy Thoughts!

Michelle"I need more crackers over here!"Gatto