Braving the Storm! One year all the children in my care had been attending a theatre summer workshop. When I arrived to collect them, they were all chatty, telling me everything that they'd been doing.
As we left the building the rain was torrential. As I was ushering out the 4 children, I put up my large umbrella and beckoned the children to gather them all under shelter. Only 3 of them joined me as we began walking slowly but sensibly huddled together. I beckoned to the 4th child to come and join us - there was room! However, the 4th child who was the eldest and a teenager was determined to show how ‘sensible’ and independent she was, as she sped past us saying, “No I’m OK.! I'm going to leg it to the car,” and she ran at break-neck speed ...... only to realise upon arriving at the car, some way in the distance, that the car door (as always) was locked!
As we were keeping relatively dry huddled together under the umbrella, she was getting more and more drenched.
She tried the car door again and then she turned around, head ducked eyes screwed up and half closed trying to shelter from the deluge. Stooping and still, she froze as the car alarm went off.
She then looked back sheepishly at us and delivered a resigned look that, had it been voiced would have said, "Oh sh….. I didn't think that one through!"
She had a really good laugh about it once we were in the car and with the heater turned on! We all chatted about what she had learned, she was a really good sport, laughing at herself. This was a really good lesson for the other children, being able to see that it is ok to laugh at yourself and your mistakes!
Belinda Wells
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