Exploring Details

My daughter, Molly, has been working for me since she was ten years old. She could get a line of kids straighter and quieter than anyone I've ever met. She's patient, funny, boisterous and commanding all at the same time. When Miss Molly walks into a room filled with kids, everyone pays attention.

I listen a lot to what she says. I find her insights and perceptions mostly on target. So a couple of weeks ago, while she was helping with one of our afternoon art projects, she said, "What these kids need is not to share."

"Mmmmmmmmmm?" I asked

"Every child needs his own stuff to use. Sharing only makes them crazy. The product is not as good, and the noise level when sharing is twice what it is when they have their own supplies."

I listened. There is a passion in someone who is always looking for a better mousetrap, and Miss Molly is one of those very special mousetrapians who is determined to replace time-weary practices and worn out uses with something bright, fun and smart-smart for the sake of the children in her care. In fact, her slogan today had something to do with "how big is dumb?" This kind of question is the impetus to finding much better mousetraps.

In building this better "supply" mousetrap, I asked her what she needed. That's my job - complimenting hers. I'm the problem solver for the mousetrapian! She wasn't sure, but it had to involve paint, crayons, glue, and other usable media.

While I was visiting the Dollar Store, I found some summer condiment bowls. I bought forty and trays to match. Now every child can have a small bowl of crayons to use without someone grabbing his or hers out of his or her hand or waiting for someone to finish using a color. The peace is remarkable.

With paint, I suggested the two ounce disposable condiment cups with lids. We tried this for paint and it's a lot of paint. So Miss Molly put on her thinking cap and bought the weekly size pill dispensers. I bought paint that comes with a plunger, and it's going to be a match made in heaven.

Glue will be put out on squares of paper rather than common bowls.

Why is this such a big deal and why does it really matter? Children are our business, and we care what they do, how they do it, and we care about the result. Many people say, "It's not the product, but the process." That might be true when you are teaching children age two, or children who are developmentally two, but by the time a child gets to be three, his art work is defining his skill, his intellect, his inner self, and if he's thwarted by a common glue pot, or paint that has been destroyed by another child, or crayons that he has to wait to use, he's not getting the full scope of education nor exploration.

We want children to know that everything they do is important to them, to us, and to parents. We want children to understand that their work counts and is a tribute to what they know and understand. Not everything goes into the folders at school, but when something is well done and worth taking home, that child will find that work in his folder.

It's the details of life that help make the whole picture work well. If individual paint pots create a harmonious and artistic environment, then that's the direction we will take. I just thank Miss Molly for her mousetrapian skills!