Dogfight at the Day Care Center
george spelvin
Kevin was a new child at the center. That’s why he was reaching for the door knob, lachrymously begging to follow his mother. Harry wasn’t much help. He was a conscientious and well trained worker, but he new at the center too. He somehow didn’t have the hang of how to placate frightened newcomers. Harry approached Kevin and said, “Don’t cry. There’s nothing to be afraid of. We’re going to have fun today.” The tantrum continued.
Harry picked up a book from the book shelf. “Let’s go to the block corner and see what we can make with blocks.” The tantrum continued.
“Here’s a nice book. Would you like for me to read it to you?” The tantrum continued.
Five or ten vain attempts later, the noise of the Kevin’s increased screaming reached the director’s office. The director came out of her office, bent down to Kevin’s eye level, and put her hand on Kevin’s back. “You want your mommy, don’t you?” Kevin nodded. His screaming and crying reduced from fortissimo to forte. “You’re scared that the teachers are going to fuss at you, aren’t you?” Kevin nodded again. His screaming and crying reduced from forte to mezzo forte.
“You’re scared that the other kids aren’t going to like you, aren’t you?” Kevin nodded again. His screaming and crying reduced from mezzo forte to mezzo piano.
“We’ll try not to fuss at you. Harry is a nice man, and he has a nice book to read to you. Why don’t you go to the book corner with Harry and find out what the book is about?” Kevin nodded again. His crying reduced to a pianissimo and soon stopped altogether. A few other children gathered around to hear Harry read the story.
Each child picked up a book from the rack and said, “Read this one!” Harry honored each child’s request; thereby prolonging the session to over an hour. While other children came and went, Kevin clung by Harry’s side.
Finally the last child wandered to another interest center, inviting Kevin to go with him. Harry went to the door of the director’s office and asked in amazement, “How did you do that!”
The director said, “You read a lot, don’t you?”
Harry was afraid to say yes, because the director might consider that bragging.
The director looked up on the bookshelf and pulled down a few books one by one. She gave Harry a handful of books by Virginia Axline, Haim Ginott, and Thomas Gordon. “I don’t expect all of these books back tomorrow, but return them when you can.”
Later, when Harry had time to think, a Top Dog and Under Dog began quarrelling in his mind:
Top Dog said, “You should be better with kids than anyone else in this center, and you’re not.”
Under Dog answered, “Why should I, and how do you figure that I’m not?”
TOP DOG: The director is better working with kids than you are.
UNDER DOG: How do you figure that?
TOP DOG: Because she was able to get Kevin to stop crying, and you couldn’t.
UNDER DOG: She’s had years of experience and I haven’t.
TOP DOG: It’s your fault that you haven’t had years of experience. You can make up the difference only by metamorphosing yourself now.
UNDER DOG: Suppose I took a crash course in a foreign language. When I arrive at a country that speaks that language, I should be able to speak it as well as anyone who’s been there for several years?
TOP DOG: That’s different.
UNDER DOG: What’s different about it?
TOP DOG: Learning a foreign language is a special skill.
UNDER DOG: And working with children isn’t?
TOP DOG: Well, you know what I mean.
UNDER DOG: I certainly don’t.
TOP DOG: Well, maybe working with children is a special skill,but you should be ashamed of yourself for dumping your work on the director like that.
UNDER DOG: Why? It seems to me that it would be more constructive to read these books and find out what’s in them.
TOP DOG: I’m just trying to help you and you don’t even appreciate it.
UNDER DOG: You’re right, I don’t.
TOP DOG: If you feel that way, I’ll just leave.
UNDER DOG: Cheerio.
