Preparation H(helps)

 

Preparation H(elps)

One spring, the second-grade teachers at my school did a very brave thing. We took three classes of seven-year-olds out to lunch at a smorgasbord restaurant. Imagine—more than 60 squirmy kids loose in public with food in their hands. It could have been a fiasco, but we weren’t worried, because we knew the secret of “Preparation H.”

“Preparation H” translates to preparation helps. I learned long ago that preparing children for new situations and experiences prevents a lot of problems.  

Our daughter was a toddler when her two big brothers were just getting involved in big kid activities. After a few soccer games spent chasing her up and down the sidelines and one dreadful drama experience where she averaged seven questions per minute, I realized that we needed a game plan for sharing these great times as a family.

So we set out to fill little sister in. I didn’t know a lot about the game of soccer, but I did know that each team was trying to score in a certain goalpost and which color her brother’s team wore. We kicked the ball around a bit at home and she got the idea. Now she could be a cheerleader and we could actually watch the game.

When her big brother was cast in his school play, we went to the library and got out recordings and books about the story. This was in the days before videos or DVDs, but even in those primitive times, we used what we had to explain the story and by the time we got to opening night, she was breathless with anticipation. She followed the plot and almost sang along with each musical number. Her brother was a huge star in her eyes and later, when she was a big kid, she caught the acting bug and stepped before the footlights herself.

Every teacher does this. We prepare the students so that they can really enjoy and understand the experience. What would be the point of visiting Philadelphia without knowing about the Declaration of Independence or Ben Franklin? Wouldn’t it be great to know how potatoes are grown and which states grow them before visiting the potato chip factory? Wouldn’t you read an author’s books before meeting the author? Sure, you are going there to learn, but won’t you learn more if you have some background on which to rest your new information?  

Parents can do this too. How much more fun will it be to visit great Aunt Gertrude if the kids know about the time she “sweetened” the lemonade with salt or hid her baby brother’s trousers in the old oak tree? So you have to sit and wait while your brother gets his braces adjusted? Why not get a really gross book from the library with ugly pictures of the insides of mouths to study while waiting? Kids love that stuff. Use your imagination, do a little research, take a little time and have a whole lot more fun.

For two weeks before our smorgasbord visit, we drilled the kids in appropriate restaurant behaviors. We talked about the other diners. We practiced our table manners and used quiet voices. We discussed how many desserts were appropriate. We chanted, “I will wait my turn and eat everything I put on my plate.” We even sent home a note detailing restaurant manners for the parents to review with their student and sign.  

When the yellow school buses pulled up at the door, we saw the faces of the other diners and could almost read their minds: “Where are all these kids from?  Oh gee, guess my meal is ruined.” 

We fooled them all. Every single kid behaved beautifully. That place never heard so many Pleases and Thank yous. We were so well-behaved, that the waiters came and thanked us. We had learned the lesson of preparation and it really helped.