Mercy

As primary president, I am often searching the web for ideas. Lesson ideas, teacher appreciation ideas, activity ideas etc.

I stumbled across this blog and instantly fell in love with the blog description quoted below:

You and a two year old are placed in a small, bare, carpeted room for two hours. You do not really know this child. The child has NO idea who you are. Can you handle it? Sure. No worries, right? How about you and 2 two year olds? 3 two year olds ? 5? 7? 9? 12? Are you screaming for MERCY! yet? Welcome to Nursery. It takes a lot of ideas to make the 2 hours of church nursery run smoothly. I can use all the help I can get.

Why did this quote strike such a chord with me?

Today I . . . volunteered to help in the Nursery as they were terribly short handed and our new time slot for church puts us right at lunch and nap time for most children in this age group.

Play time is always the easiest.
Breaking up fights. Pulling children off tables and stacked chairs. Hunting for missing shoes. Encouraging sharing. Finding misplaced toys. Reading books in 13 second intervals. Keeping escape artists away from doors. Discouraging pinching, hitting or throwing. Applauding turn-taking.

Then there is snack time. Also easy.
Passing out wipes for hand washing. Reminding that wipes are for hands and not tables. Dishing up treats to eat. Reminding that they have their own treats and not to take what belongs to others. Filling sippy cups with water. Reminding that water belongs in cups on not on tables.

The last 30 minutes are the hardest. A short lesson to a swarm of children with the attention span of a baby gnat. Singing time or, better phased, a solo performance of a medley of childrens songs. Coloring a picture to show mom and dad what they tried to learn today.

Interestingly enough, it seems, the minute they become Sunbeams – it has all sunk in and they are ready for BIG primary. It truly is the Lords work structured and directed through His influence and guidance. And when applied by loving Nursery leader (whom I love dearly . . . THANKS Kathryn!!) it is a PERFECT program.

 

(A parody photo of my dad, taken when both he and my mom served in the nursery of their Ward.)