This month in the JKK after school program, we have been having a lot of conversations around what is needed to help grow kind friends. During our conversation in class we have learned that our emotions play a big part in how we interact and communicate with peers, such as when some peers are using words like “I’m not your friend anymore.” As a class we are working on using our words to express how we are feeling, without hurting others feelings. We talked about what is needed to help our friends grow. Some of the ideas the group came up with are: giving hugs (with permission) or giving friends space, allowing our peers time for their bodies to regulate, giving compliments, and helping one another when needed.
A couple months ago, the children planted their own tulips that they have been responsible to watch and take care of as the flowers continued to grow. Each morning, all the flowers get watered except for one that is labelled, “No Kindness”. The children compared treating our peers with kindness to giving our flowers water and care each day.
When having these conversations within our classroom it allows the children to learn how to communicate positively with one another, while still being able to feel our feelings. Giving them visualization of what happens when you don’t give water to a plant, and what happens when you do. How if we use kind words it can help our friends grow strong together as a class. Showing each other what happens when we use uplifting words with one another.
As we continue to monitor and take care of our plants, it reminds the children how we have to continue to work on our relationships with one another. As we welcome Spring, we are going to expand on this as we start to care for our flowers into the warmer months. As we learn what our flowers need to survive in the spring/summer months.
