Memoirs of a Kitchen Lady- Pre-School Tee Ball

I love the first few days of school when I serve lunch to the new preschoolers. I'll bet you never even thought about it, but it is a learned skill to select your lunch all on your own and another skill to learn to carry your lunch tray and milk together.

I tell my friend the pre-school teacher that it always reminds me of when my son was in Tee-Ball. When Cam was learning the game of baseball in Tee-Ball they had a parent at each base who would stop the child from over running the plate. It was a total crack up to see the parent use their body as a human shield so kids could get the concept of running and stopping.

In the first few days of school it takes about four parents and the teacher to get the kids through the line parent #1 stays with the waiting kids to show them to stay in line, luckily there is this marvelous invention of rings on a string that the kids hold on to so they can learn the concept of lining up. The next parent teaches the kids to wait their turn in front of the food. The teacher shows the kids the proper way to hold their trays with TWO hands and select their food which is a trial in its self because many little children have never made a food choice in their little lives. Two more parents round out the journey to the lunch table.

Another thing I love is how quickly the kids learn the ropes and how the second year preschoolers are the "old pros". They don't need help and make sure everyone knows they aren't "babies" and can make their own choices.

They grow up so fast in this first year and before I know it, they are tall enough to see all the food choices, carry their trays without a hitch and are on their way to the big wide world of school.