3 Things I Learned About Kids From My First Day Working at a Preschool

Summary

The author reflects on the valuable life lessons and insights gained from working with preschoolers, emphasizing their literal interpretation of language, the impact of adult words, and the genuine affection and approval they offer.

Abstract

The personal essay titled "What Preschoolers Teach Us | Illumination | Personal Essay" recounts the author's experiences from their first day working at a preschool, highlighting three key lessons learned from the children. Firstly, the author advises against joking about age with preschoolers, as they take comments about gray hairs quite literally and will eagerly search for and point them out. Secondly, the author warns that telling children that eating apple seeds will grow a tree in their stomach can either be seen as a playful joke or provoke anxiety, suggesting it's best to instruct them to discard the seeds. Lastly, the author cherishes the unconditional love and acceptance from the children, noting that their approval and trust are as significant and heartwarming as those of adults. The essay concludes with the author expressing a deep appreciation for the wisdom and joy children bring into our lives, referencing Robert Fulghum's sentiment that much of what we need to know can be learned from the experiences in kindergarten.

Opinions

The author finds children's interpretations of adult language, such as labeling "shut up" as a "parent word," both adorable and insightful.
Joking about being old with children can lead to unexpected and literal reactions, such as them searching for gray hairs.
Children's reactions to the idea of a tree growing in their stomach from eating apple seeds can range from playful disbelief to genuine concern, indicating a need for careful communication.
The author values the genuine affection from the children, considering their love and approval a form of affirmation

They take things literally and they’re kind.

“He said a parent word,” a 5-year-old whispered to me one morning, speaking about a boy in her class.

“Like a bad word?” I asked.

“No, he said worse,” she said. “He said ‘shut up.’”

Maybe I’m a little dramatic, but I think kids are iconic and hilarious. I think it’s adorable she thinks “shut up” is a “parent word” and that it’s worse than a “bad word.” I think it’s adorable that the idea of a “parent word” made her so nervous that she felt the need to whisper the concept to me.

In honor of today being my first day working at a new preschool two years ago, I want to share the three main things I learned that day:

When kids ask you how old you are (inevitably because as a 20-year-old you looked 13, and they wonder why someone so young is now working there and in charge of them), don’t joke that you’re so old you have gray hairs, because they will find gray hairs — many of them — and are more than happy to point them out to you. (I wish they would’ve pulled them out.)

When kids joke or ask about eating apple seeds, telling them it’ll cause a tree to grow in their stomachs is entirely too tempting. However, they either know you’re kidding and that a tree won’t really grow in their stomachs, or they’ll suddenly be curious and anxious, screaming and asking lots of questions. It’s better just to tell them to focus on the other parts of the apple and throw the seeds away.

There is no better affirmation than a kid’s love and approval. That first day, I was over the moon. Many of the kids wanted to get to know me and play with me. They drew me countless pictures that I’ve kept to this day. I wasn’t sure what I’d done to earn their attention, but apparently wanting someone to hang out with you in preschool isn’t limited to when you’re enrolled as a preschooler. And sometimes kids approving of you and trusting you takes just as much work as it does for adults to, so not having to work so hard for their appreciation and respect meant a lot.

Photo by Ashley Broadwater (author)

Now that I’ve moved away and a lot of preschools and daycares are closed due to COVID-19, I haven’t gotten to hang out with little kids in a while. While playing with them can be tiring because of all the extra energy they have, I really miss working with kids, especially the ones I bonded with over my four years in college.

I think we adults have a lot to learn from kids. We can learn serious things, like how our “parent words” can negatively impact someone. But we can also learn more lighthearted things, like how much kids act upon their love and how if you joke with them about being old, they’re going to believe you.

Kids deserve more credit. I feel like a lot of times, people don’t put much stock into what little kids say because kids haven’t learned as much or had as many life experiences.

But like Robert Fulghum wrote in his book, “all I really need to know I learned in kindergarten.”