Today we took a walk in the neighborhood and encountered a large moving inflatable cat, sparking questions and comments:
Helena: Look at the decoration!
Rondie: Is it real?
Dylan: It’s pretend.
Poppy: If it’s not real, why is it moving?
Poppy had some feelings about the cat and was able to express her fears to Teacher Adriana and her peers.
Poppy: I’m afraid of it moving.
Penny: It’s not a real cat.
Dylan: Do you want to hold my hand?
Poppy: No, I want to go back to school.
Dylan: Remember when we went to the pumpkin patch and we saw decorations?
Poppy: I don’t like it. I want to go back.
Rondie: It’s just pretend, Poppy.
Dylan: I see a kid in the window. Look!
We see two children standing in the window watching us. They come out with their nanny.
Teacher Amy: We were curious about your cat. Some of the children were wondering if the cat was real.
Our Neighbor: No, it’s not real.
Amy: Can we ask you a favor? Would you be willing to unplug it?
The nanny agrees and we all watch as the cat stops moving and slowly deflates.
Neighbor: Would you like me to plug it in again?
Dylan: Yes, plug it in! See, it’s a machine inside.
Poppy (laughing) Oh! It’s pretend.
We brought it up again at reflection meeting to check in and see if everyone was settled.
Amy: Poppy, how did it feel to have the friends comfort you?
Poppy: It felt good when they helped me. Dylan and Rondie tried to help me. They were trying to support me.
Helena: I felt happy to see the cat but why was Poppy scared? Maybe she thought it was going to scratch her or catch her. I could protect her.
Dylan: She was scared ‘cuz she thought it was real. We talked to her and it helped her feel better.
Our community walks are to develop a sense of place with our community and right now, because it’s halloween, we understand that our children need time to process their emotions about the changes present this holiday. When Poppy encountered her feelings, her peers immediately supported her by checking in and asking questions of the neighbor creating a more intimate moment to process emotions while we walk toward calm feelings together.