Kindergarten Wisdom

Spending time with kindergartners is teaching me a lot about life.

Yesterday was all about the letter W, which doesn't sound too inspiring. But in the midst of rainbow writing and tracing capital letters and small letters with mud (brown paint), the kindergartners taught me a few things.

• Listen to music--lots of music

Patriotic songs. Silly songs. Songs to sing before you pray and songs to sing when you finish praying. Sons sung off-key or really loud or while you're jumping up and down. Days are enriched by music.

• Read books--lots and lots of books

I have a mostly-ignored To Be Read (TBR) pile of books. The only time I pay attention to it is when I add another book to the stack. Thanks to my one morning a week in kindergarten, I've enjoyed being read to--books about school and leaves and one book that had something to do with the phrase "Ding-a-ling" and a book about a Mrs. Wishy-Washy who scrubs her muddy animals clean.

• Try doing the same-old-same-old in a whole new way

Sure you can write your letters with an old fashioned pencil. But why not spread some chocolate pudding on a paper plate and trace a W or a C or a T in the goopy mess? And sure, when you write your letters you need to know the "start here" point and the "end here" point. But why not glue rice to the letter R or Fruit Loops to the letter F?

Today I've got my radio tuned to a favorite station. I'll pull a book or two from my TBR pile. And who knows, maybe I'll try a new recipe for dinner or find a new path to wander when I go for a walk with my family tonight.