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A night of girl talk
I don’t have any children, but I love being around them.
I teach a class of 3- to 5-year-old boys and girls Wednesday nights at Church on the Rise, which I have been attending since February 2007.
My duties were extended Friday night when I was called as a chaperone at a little girl’s sleepover at the church. The night was filled with crafts, snacks, relay races, a movie and bedtime. By the time they were tucked into their sleeping bags and whispering too each other, I was exhausted.
The children I teach are too young for this, so I met quite a few new little people that night. Three exceptions were little girls I taught last year but who graduated from my class in May. They are all in kindergarten.
These little girls are the reason for this blog. They are all sweet, if very rambunctious, 5-year-olds. I think it was the first sleepover for all of them, and they did well. Each had her moment though when she whispered that time-honored phrase, “I want my mommy.”
It was a reminder of how young they are, which was a good thing in my eyes. They were excited and having a good time with the older girls. They were hyped up on sugar. They were running around and screaming their heads off, which my beleaguered ears could certainly attest to. But they were young enough that they still needed reassurance that they were safe and mommy would be back in the morning.
I know we hear all the time about how fast children are growing up because of video games, television and what they hear in school. In some ways, I think it’s true. I have heard children not much older than these girls say things that wrenched my heart.
It took a few hugs and reassurance that everything was going to be OK, but each girl got past the shaky moment and lasted the night. I was really proud of them. I was also glad for the reminders that no matter how grown up children try to appear, sometimes they still need a hug and reassurance that they are safe.
Do you think children are growing up faster now than in previous generations? Share your thoughts by commenting here or e-mail me at lmcfarland@coxnc.com.
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