They Are Always Watching

 

About a month ago I began to invite two struggling little kindergarten boys to eat in my office with me.  We eat and play a game or two, if there is a time, as we work on some skills to help them be more successful in their classroom.

One of the boys came in last week and instead of his usual lunchable, pulled out a container of chicken fingers and potatoes.  Handing it to me he said, "Mrs. Potter, can you heat this up?"  I was a bit surprised, but obliged.  The next day he brought in chopped steak and corn.  While it's not something we can do on a cafeteria level, heating up his food in my microwave became part of our daily routine. 

Earlier this week I met his mom and she thanked me for my efforts with her son.  She commented that he came home a couple weeks ago and said he wouldn't be needing lunchables anymore.  Confused, when she asked why he said, "We eat leftovers."  He had been watching my coworker and I eat our leftovers each day and had decided he was now part of our team.  😂. Sometimes I forget how very closely they are watching us.  

President Thomas S Monson reminded, "Our children are watching. They are absorbing eternal lessons. They are shaping their futures. What is the example we are presenting to them?"

They are watching how we respond to others.  How we treat others, especially those different than us.  They are watching how we handle stress, whether we forgive and the language we will use.  They watch us pray and read scriptures, or not.  They watch us navigate conflict and frustration.  They watch us smile and laugh and forgive and say I love you.  

They even watch us eat leftovers.  

In the end we don't ever really get to choose whether or not we teach them, only what we will teach them.  

Because they are always watching.