It is a welcome relief to reflect back to the “Good old days”. Those carefree days when you and I were children. A time when we were first starting school. We used to chase butterflies and puppy dogs and kittens. I remember those glorious days only too well. Not a care in the world and responsibility was six light years away. Little did I realize what was in store. It was nice when the most difficult decision I had to make was whether to have Cheerios or Raisin Bran (the Generic Ones) for breakfast. When we were that age, we wanted to grow up… to get bigger, smarter, and have more responsibility… more freedom. I wonder now why it seemed so urgent.
We had reached the ripe old age of five. We were glad to be out of diapers and pretty much were self- sufficient. Kindergarten was a grand and glorious place, but not without its share of complications. By the way which is correct? Kindergarten or Kindergarden? Actually, they both are. Originally Kindergarten came from Germany. Kinder Garten… translation “children’s garden”. The anglicized version is Kindergarden. You won’t find that version in common use in the UK. Since we have put that to bed let us move on.
Did you ever wonder why everyone in the class only had a first name and a last initial? Darryl T., Mary J., Billy M., and so on? I guess as they grew so did their last names. Maybe you can identify some of these same personalities from your kindergarten class.
Jeannie H., cried every day when her mother dropped her off for school… what a drag.
There was Billy M., who ate crayons. He didn’t just nibble on an occasional crayon, he devoured whole boxes of crayons — he was a crayon junky.
Darryl W. wore corduroy pants that were never zipped up. I couldn’t figure out where he got those pants.
Sally G. sucked her thumb purple. She did everything with one hand (that had to be tough).
Timothy C. was always throwing up. Every time we went to the park, or on an outing or rode a bus or you name it he threw up.
Priscilla T. was always ill. We saw her on occasion, but even then, it was just a break between ailments.
Audrey Z. was a giggler and kept the whole class from sleeping on their rugs at nap time.
Johnny K. always forgot his milk ticket for snack time.
Last but not least there was Elizabeth H. with her small package of Kleenex Tissues who had a runny nose 24 hours a day 7 days a week. It is difficult to picture her without that runny nose.
In those days Kindergarden (I am going to go with the anglicized version) was pre-school, nursery school, pre pre-school all rolled into one. If we knew how to drink milk, eat graham crackers, lay on a rug at the prescribed time, not eat over 3 boxes of crayons, and live long enough we became a first grader… this happened almost by osmosis.
Today as a parent I am faced with a new sophisticated educational system. It puts greater demands on the children in earlier grades. This isn’t necessarily bad. The curriculum doesn’t include rugs for nap time. Oh well.
One difference, I believe, in today’s system is that we may be brought to understand why Billy M. likes to eat crayons or why Sally G. sucks her thumb purple.
I do believe that the children are still the same. You can find the Darryl W’s who can’t seem to keep their pants zipped up, and the chronic crayon eaters and even the Timothy T’s who always seem to be throwing up.
I suppose in a few decades we have come a long way. Maybe not all for the better. I guess that it would seem inconsistent to have the same old-fashioned system that you and I had. Times change and so must the system, but it is nice to … REMEMBER WHEN….
