Saturday, April 7, 2012

Baby/Toddler Lap Time, 4/6/12

EDIT: I was looking at the calendar right before I made this post, and thinking about my schedule on April 13 - which is why the title of this post had the incorrect date! It's fixed now.

The adult behavior at this story time was so utterly atrocious, it has taken me more than 24 hours to calm down enough to even blog about it. It took every bit of energy I had not to just drop everything and walk out of the room. I rarely stop reading to ask parents to be quiet. We make a "quiet sound" as a group at least once a session, but I actually had to says the words, "All the grown-ups in the room need to stop talking. It is way too noisy." And even then, they kept right on. Several of them also allowed their kids to grab me, pull my stuff from the flannel board, and generally climb all over the room. I don't think I let it show too much that I was starting to lose it, but I am already dreading next week's session. It takes a lot out of me to just sit there and smile and sing while they're being so disrespectful. But maybe it's good for building character?

In any case, despite the difficulties of the audience, I do like this repertoire.

Opening Song: Hello, how are you?

Rhyme: This is Big, Big, Big

Rhyme: Dance Your Fingers 

Flannel Board Rhyme: Let's Make a Noise 

Book: Mommies Say Shhh! by Patricia Polacco (2007)
The irony of reading this book to this group is not lost on me, but I'm still too angry to find it funny.

Song: I'm a Little Teapot

Song: Head and Shoulders

Right here is where I lost the group. I am still trying to figure out why the adults start talking the second I start to sing. This is why I'm afraid to start playing my ukulele at story time. If they talk through that, I will take it personally.

Song with Popsicle Stick Puppets: One Little, Two Little, Three Little Toes
I printed out some clip art feet so we could count toes. It was not a hit. The adults couldn't tell they were toes! 

Book: Busy Toes by C.W. Bowie (2000)
I like this book, but a little girl in the front row - probably a 6-year-old - heckled me through the entire thing. "That's dumb!" "Read a different book." Etc. Nice.

Song: Where is Big Toe?
This was great. It was a brief respite from the storm.


Book: Meeow and the Little Chairs by Sebastien Braun
I love Meeow. This isn't as good as Meeow and the Pots and Pans, but it has just enough of a story to keep adults interested while also engaging toddlers. Note: I never read three books, but I tried it this time because it's working so well for my colleague who does one of the Tuesday morning story times. I can't figure out why they will sit through three with her, but with me, they can't make it through one.

Flannel Board Song: Oh, Yellow Flower 
I love singing this.  I hope it catches on. 

Song: If You're Happy and You Know It
I was not happy and I knew it by this point, but I kept my cool and just kept smiling. That's sometimes all you can do.

Song: You Are My Sunshine

Goodbye Song: We Wave Goodbye Like This

Baby Lap Time, 4/5/12 and 4/6/12

It's hard to believe it, but the Spring session of Baby Lap Time started this week. Since its humble beginnings back in September and October, this program has really exploded and become much more popular than I ever could have expected. I think we have word of mouth to thank for that, since many new moms chat with one another and make recommendations for things to do. I also attribute the exceptional interest level for the Spring session to the fact that we moved the afternoon session from Wednesday to Friday, since many more parents are off on Friday afternoons. 

Officially, we advertised that we only had 20 spots available, but, as with the Winter session, I allowed up to 25 families to actually sign up, since typically there are many no-shows.  With twins, triplets, and nanny shares, we ended up with 28 babies in each group, and that's not counting the occasional preschool older sibling. To say the least, we have a full house this Spring!

I did my best to prepare my material ahead of time so I wouldn't be caught short, but alas, with all my other programs, and my bridal shower and outreach taking me away from the branch, I wasn't as ready as I could have been. I chose good songs and rhymes, and great books, but I didn't take as much time as I have in the past to assemble those into a routine that flows well. I didn't have as much time, truth be told, since there was only one month between sessions this time, and last time around, I had a break from October to mid-January. So for this week, there are two different, but related, repertoires. I'll post them both below and explain the changes I made.

Thursday Morning @ 11:00

Opening Song: Say Hello
The first and biggest disaster of this story time was that it took ten minutes to sing hello to everyone. There were more older siblings than expected, because there was no school, and since I didn't know everyone's name, I had to stop between verses to ask the adults for the kids' names. I don't know what to do, really, since I have no idea whether all 24 families will be back, but in a story time that is meant to last 20 minutes, a ten-minute hello song is not a good way to start things off.

Rhyme: Cheek Chin

Flannel Board Rhyme: Let's Make a Noise 

Fingerplay: Two Little Bunnies (based on Two Little Blackbirds) 

Song with Puppet: Mr. Sun

Book: Where is the Green Sheep? by Mem Fox and Judy Horacek (2004)
I really love this book. I read it with a lot of expression, and the kids seemed to respond to my exaggerated voice when saying, "But where is the green sheep?" 

Song: Bumpin' Up and Down in my Little Red Wagon


Song: Eyes Nose Cheeky Cheeky Chin
I like this better than Head and Shoulders.

Song: Tony Chestnut
I can never tell if groups are amused by this, or if they just think it's too complicated. Either way, it eventually catches on. 

Songs and Rhymes with Shaker Eggs: 

Song: If You're Happy and You Know It
  • ...clap your hands
  • ...beep your nose
  • ...tickle your tummy
  • ...shout hooray!

At this point, though I didn't know it because our story time room's clock is stopped at 6:00, I was already close to the 30-minute mark. 30 minutes! I never go that long! But since I didn't know it, I actually opened up my second book and read it. I felt like the adults were annoyed with me. I have no idea if that's true, because I felt so uncomfortable already, I might have been projecting, but I rushed through that book so quickly, I don't think anyone enjoyed it.

Book: Flip, Flap, Fly by Phyllis Root, illustrated by David Walker (2009)

Song: Oh, Yellow Flower

Song: All the Little Babies

I had another flannel board planned, but thank God I had the sense to skip it. I went right into the goodbye song, and then got the heck out of there.

Goodbye Song: Open, Shut Them Goodbye Song 

When I got out of the room and looked at the clock, it was nearly 11:40. I was convinced no one was ever coming back, because the program was so chaotic. What I really think happened, though, is that I worried too much about the popularity of the program and in trying to make it awesome, rushed and panicked and made a mess of it instead. But not to worry. The advantage of repeating a program is getting to do it better the second time if the first time is a flop. And that's what I did.


Friday Afternoon @ 3:30


Opening Song: Say Hello

Only 15 families came on Friday, so this hello song was a breeze.

Rhyme: Cheek Chin

Book: Flip, Flap, Fly by Phyllis Root, illustrated by David Walker (2009)
This time I got the longest book out of the way first. A much better choice. The babies around a year old were the ones who engaged with it the most, but the rhyming text and bright illustrations appealed to everyone.

Flannel Board Rhyme: Let's Make a Noise

What a difference is makes to be calm! I was much more relaxed on Friday, and therefore I remembered to go through each sound slowly, and then to repeat them all once more at the end.

Rhyme with Puppet: Chook Chook Chook Chook
I discovered very quickly on Thursday that this rhyme does not work with shaker eggs. I also don't need four shaker egg activities. So I took out my hen puppet and held her up as we said the rhyme together. I think most of the adults in my groups are uncomfortable with nursery rhymes, and their weird energy toward them makes me feel like a big dork, but I keep using them anyway, because the kids should be exposed to them. And everybody likes puppets! 

Song with Puppet: Mr. Sun

Song: Eyes Nose Cheeky Cheeky Chin 

Song: Tony Chestnut

Songs with Shaker Eggs: 
 
Book: Where is the Green Sheep? by Mem Fox and Judy Horacek (2004)

Flannel Board Song: Oh, Yellow Flower 

Song: All the Little Babies

Song: If You're Happy and You Know It
  • ...clap your hands
  • ...beep your nose
  • ...tickle your tummy
  • ...shout hooray!
Fingerplay: Two Little Bunnies (based on Two Little Blackbirds)

Flannel Board Song: Five Little Birdies (based on Five Little Fairies)

Goodbye Song: Open, Shut Them Goodbye Song 

This second session also reached the 30-minute mark, but this time it didn't feel like a race to the end. I was in control, and I think this group had a much more enjoyable experience because of that. Now to figure out a repertoire for next week that is the right length and won't send me into a panic!
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