Love Them Like Jesus

Last week Iulia and I identified several children whom we thought would benefit from a behavioral management program that focuses on controlling emotions.  Based on the foundational ideas of the "Alert Program", we are meeting with these children in pairs to help them recognize their emotions, provide them with alternative strategies to dealing with their emotions, and implement those strategies during the day.  This first week we had them talk about situations that induce different emotions and what they feel inside during those times.  For the younger ones we did a couple role play scenarios that elicited happiness and anger.  Then they drew faces of different emotions of their choice-- a very difficult task for all of them.  Using a mirror with the younger ones definitely helped them see their facial features.  Finally we had them throw a ball at the wall in a manner that corresponded with each of the emotions they drew.  Overall the sessions were successful but it is evident Iulia and I have a long way to go with these children.  They struggle not only with identifying their emotions, but also with simply talking about their emotions. 

For our group activity this week I had the children make cards that they will (hopefully) deliver to children with disabilities or in the hospital.  Some of the children found it difficult to think of something to say to these children or what they would want on a card if it was given to them.  In order for them to make the cards they had to transport the supplies from one end of the room to the other by playing "Over-Under" as a team.  They definitely made some interesting creations with all the materials, but I know they enjoyed the process (plus they did a great job sharing the supplies and using their manners).  Some of them wanted to keep their cards at the end and we had to re-explain the purpose of the project.  Clearly empathy is not something many of the children have developed.  Later in the week some of the children played "duck-duck-goose" and went on a team scavenger hunt; again, to teach playing cooperatively and working as a team.  Mixing the ages of the children worked extremely well this week and we will continue with this pattern for next week.  Maybe in a couple weeks they'll be ready to play fairly and nicely with children their own age.
 
Each day I still meet with a couple children one-on-one.  It's fun to see their excitement to play games such as "Trouble", "Memory Match", and "Connect Four" because they rarely get to sit down and have this interaction with someone.  These games are also a great medium for teaching not to cheat, taking turns, being a humble winner, and expanding their attention span.  I have also been challenging the children to use their imagination and create new designs when they build, color, or mold.  My Italian has also been improving the more I interact with the children-- an added bonus for sure.  The computer usage has been put on-hold as I await a computer with sound that can run the various educational games I brought.

Only three caregivers came to the meeting on Friday because of various reasons.  I conducted the lesson with them and will do the same lesson with the others on Monday.  We switched gears this week to talking about stress management and the importance of taking care of themselves as well as the children.  I found it alarming to hear some of the responses when I asked about their stress at Casa Sperantei: crying, difficulty sleeping, constantly feeling tired, vomitting, and headaches to name a few.  Some techniques I provided for them (which we did together) included purse-lipped breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, imagery, brief escape/pause from the situation, and smiling/laughter.  I also suggested writing on a sheet of paper things that induce stress within their control and those out of their control, and also the major stressful behaviors of the children versus the minor irritating behaviors.  This way they can evaluate their situations more clearly and realize that some things are not worth stressing over.  Integrating these simple techniques into their daily routine will truly impact their health, emotional state, and relationships with others.  But they actually have to use them in order for this to happen. 

Scheduling continues to be a headache here, and it's easy to see why the children don't receive consisent attention.  The volunteers this week and next week work with groups in several communities and bring a few of the children to these groups each day.  I cannot complain about this because I think this integration is extremely important and helpful for the children here.  However, Iulia and I don't know when/if they will go and when they will return each day, which makes our job more like a guessing game.  And with the group of children returning from Italy this weekend we will have even more of a challenge managing the groups.  But we are doing our best to give the children some sort of consistency, persistently pursuing the conduction of our various groups.

Through all of this I find myself reminded that the one thing the children truly need is to feel loved.  That Iulia and I can toil day and night to change their behaviors, but none of that will matter if they do not know the love of Jesus.  I must constantly recite Corinthians 13 in my head to remember what God's love looks like and how I can reflect this love.  This is the greatest gift I can give and the most lasting impact I can make.

Back in the Saddle Again

It felt great to be back working with the children again!  While I would love to work with two groups each day, I'm thankful for the time I have with them amidst their busy schedules.  These next several weeks (starting this past week) will focus on teamwork and the importance of cooperating.  To facilitate this idea I designed partner relay races that consisted of "wheelbarrows", "leap frog", and tossing a ball; some of the children also participated in "over-under".  At the end the children who behaved appropriately played games with the parachute.  Of the four groups, the youngest seem to have the most difficulty with behaviors; not to mention a cascade effect happens when one begins to misbehave.  In response Iulia and I have made three rules the children must follow: 1.) We keep our hands and feet to ourselves, 2.) We use nice words, and 3.) We play the entire game.  Right now it feels like we spend more time addressing poor behaviors than actually participating in playing games.  Unfortunately this difficult aspect of the job must be done if something is going to change in the children.  As imaginable the language barrier makes the task even more difficult because I cannot properly attend to a misbehaving child or conduct the group unless Iulia assists me.  This leaves the other children who are behaving left in-limbo, seemingly punished as well.  We continue to press the issue of caregivers attending the groups to help with this aspect; sometimes they come, sometimes they don't.  However, I have observed that the children respond remarkably well to positive feedback-- much better than trying to attend to poor behaviors.  For example, when several children are sitting quietly in the circle and a few others are goofing off, I begin to praise those "sitting nicely and listening" by name and the others almost immediately fix their behaviors to receive this attention.  Definitely a recommended strategy to utilize!   

In order to better facilitate the groups for this upcoming week we decided to mix the ages of the children; this way the older ones can help the younger ones.  Obviously playing fairly with children your own age is important, but we must first establish some foundational concepts.  With this arrangement we hope the older children will feel a sense of responsibility to act as a role model and helper towards the younger ones; and we hope the younger ones will observe positive behaviors displayed by the older children.  We cannot predict how these groups will turn out, especially with so many ill-behaved children across ages, but it is worth a try.

During the beginning of the group sessions I had the children assist me in reviewing the rules (for mealtime and bedtime) we created together.  For the older children I had them take turns reading the rule and then acting out what that rule looks like.  Select rules were discussed more in depth because of their importance (e.g. "We listen to the caregivers and sisters"-- you must listen all the time (not just when you want) and the first time).  The little ones had the rules read to them, they pointed to the corresponding pictures, and then they acted them out.  One day mid-week Iulia and I reviewed the rules for the table before lunchtime and hung them in the dining room.  Each week we will return to the dining room at lunch to review the rules as more children begin to return from Italy.  On Friday we hung the rules for bedtime in their respective places.  We encouraged the caregivers to review the rules repeatedly the first couple weeks to serve as a reminder for the children. 

Aside from our group time I played one-on-one with about 15 children; some for the first time, some for the second time.  Graciously the volunteers showed flexibility in allowing me to do this, recognizing its importance to the child.  Each time I come looking for a specific child several others latch onto me and beg to come play.  I must explain that all the children take a turn before they come again.  They love this time of respite, freedom, and special attention.  I enjoy teaching the children new games and challenging them to think creatively; not to mention addressing some concerns.  A couple children wanted to play on the computer, so I allowed them this privilege the last 15 min. of our time together.  They struggled with maneuvering the mouse and clicking the appropriate buttons because of their limited exposure to using a computer.  It will be fun to teach them these skills so important in our technological world.

As a continuation from last week, the meeting with the caregivers and sisters (or sister, rather) focused on behavioral strategies.  First I had them play a "game" where they had to match scenarios with the corresponding appropriate response based on concepts we discussed thus far.  After successfully completing this task they went around and read one of the pairs and we talked about whether they have tried the strategy, their success in using it, or barriers to them not using it.  From their responses it seems many of them have integrated several strategies into their routines (some of which I have observed) and reported success with them most of the time.  Undoubtedly some use the strategies more than others and all of them could use the strategies more consistently, but I cannot overlook their willingness to at least try-- after all there is always something to complain about.  Hopefully the children recognize the difference in their behaviors as well. 

Some of the concepts I introduced during the lesson were giving choices, following through on punishment warnings, and giving time-outs.  While some children receive threats for their ill-behavior (e.g. not going to the pool) the caregivers rarely hold the children accountable.  In this way the children know they can behave poorly without actually receiving any negative consequences (besides being yelled at, which isn't much of a deterrent to most).  The caregivers say they feel bad for singling out the child, which is understandable-- yet I emphasized that if the behavior is going to stop they must face this difficult challenge.  Time-outs are a fairly new concept here as well that I think can benefit the children who display large issues such as hitting or kicking others violently.  Again, I highlighted that consistency and persistency must be used with time-outs for them to be effective.  Two videos on YouTube from "Supernanny" served as useful tools to demonstrate the important steps associated with time-outs.  I'm interested to hear their feedback on using this technique next week. 

I can say that I am pleased with the progress being made with the caregivers yet there is much more to be made.  On a daily basis I find it easy to become annoyed or perturbed with small behaviors from the caregivers, but I need to keep in mind that addressing the biggest concerns must come first.  The same can be said of the children.  Giddy-up!

Occupational Deprivation

For those of you unfamiliar with occupational therapy jargon, the term "occupational deprivation" refers to persons separated from performing their daily activities due to various circumstances out of that person's control.  After nine weeks at Casa Sperantei I find myself longing to participate in several mundane occupations.  Some of those I yearn for include:
1.) Cooking!  Besides occassionally making oatmeal on the stove I haven't cooked at all-- something I enjoy passionately and miss tremendously.  (P.S. when I respond that I am making oats the usual remark is "we feed that to animals", lol!)
2.) Grocery shopping.  Usually I buy whole-wheat bread for the week and that's it.  Yes, I actually enjoy strolling up and down the aisles to purchase delicious food to cook.
3.) Doing laundry.  So far two pairs of Nike shorts and one shirt have gone missing.  Needless to say I would miss this task even if nothing had been lost.  Minus ironing  =)  .
4.) Church!  While I find time to spend in prayer and the Word each day I truly miss the fellowship, worship, and singing that accompanies being connected with brothers and sisters in Christ. 
5.) Socializing.  Iulia and Madalin provide some fulfillment of this occupation, but I cannot deny that I am looking forward to social events with friends and family when I return-- even if that just means sitting in a room talking or playing a board game.

While I'm sure there are others I can think of if I ponder long enough, these come to mind immediately.  Despite not performing these activities I find myself continually blessed at Casa Sperantei and God daily provides everything I need.  Life is good because He is good.

As a side note:  During my evening stroll one night this week I heard "Cotton-eyed Joe" coming from one of the houses.  The next night I heard "Blowin' in the Wind".  Neither of which I expected to hear while in Romania, but the former much more than the latter.  You just never know...

Halfway to Where?

***Heavy Sigh*** No groups with the children this week because the Italian volunteers have field trips planned almost everyday, and activities the rest of the time.

With all the down time this week, on Thursday I went with Madalin (a psychologist) to the outpatient mental health clinic where he and Catalin (an "occupational therapist") work.  Work days are much less structured and more laid back than similar settings in the US.  Clients (called "beneficiaries") show up around 10am, coming and going freely until 4pm; they generally number between 7-10.  On a given day Madalin conducts one group session and sees a couple clients for one-on-one counseling.  Catalin works with clients on various crafts and games.  While the theory behind this clinic is a transitional stage until the clients reintegrate into the community, the reality is a day center for socialization.  As I mentioned in a previous post, the societal stigma surrounding persons with mental illness prevents employment opportunities and community support.  However, I think basic skills like cooking, paying bills, shopping, etc. could easily be taught at this center by the occupational therapist.  "Field trips" into the community could be beneficial not only for the clients but also for addressing the stigma behind mental health disorders.  Gaining funding for teaching such skills posits another barrier, as the EU funders are more apt to provide money for art and craft projects. 

Surprisingly many of the clients spoke some English, and were curious to ask me questions about my interests and various aspects of America (we sat around conversing for almost two hours).  Two clients even taught me how to play a new game ("Remii", sp?) with very few words uttered.  I caught on fairly well and only needed minimal guidance from Catalin when he joined us later on-- kudos to the clients!  Later in the day Madalin conducted a group session on stress management, providing various relaxation techniques for the clients.  And finally I was able to observe and interact with clients working alongside Catalin who were making cards.    

Friday marked our weekly meeting with the caregivers and sisters.  Small victories keep me going as two of the sisters surprisingly attended the meeting; one of whom never came before.  At the beginning I presented the finished posters of the rules and showed a video of the positive behaviors seen during our groups several weeks ago.  I want to show the caregivers and sisters that the children are working hard to act positively, and that they can behave well when certain techniques are used and standards are set.  Next we talked about the cycle of behavior as it relates to receiving attention.  In other words, the desire for attention leads to a display of negative behavior which leads to an immediate response to address the behavior which leads to the increased display of negative behaviors for more attention.  Breaking this cycle through both prevention and intervention necessitates consideration.  Many of the prevention skills, such as praise and encouragement, good instruction-giving, and rule setting have already been discussed.  This week we talked about ignoring behaviors like unnecessary whining, interrupting, goofing off, and dramatic acts (and then explaining to the child later why he/she was being ignored).  After introducing the idea of reinforcement, I asked them for their ideas on what reinforcements can be given to the children when they behave well, and then gave some of my own.  My confidence in them actually utilizing these reinforcement strategies remains fairly low-- they might need help initiating this process.  I also pointed out that small things like using manners, asking without demanding, and sharing are stepping stones to addressing larger issues.  Now that the program is halfway complete the caregivers shared (briefly) their feelings about the strategies and our meetings, noting that they can already see some changes in the children, but with other children they find themselves resorting back to their old methods (mainly out of frustration).  Comments such as this cause me to feel more eager to conduct groups with the children, as both parties must work together to make changes.

Groups of volunteers will be in and out of Casa Sperantei until August 10.  By the time September rolls around almost all of the children will have spent some time away-- most of them for several weeks.  This makes me think the pre-post CBCL will more accurately measure the effectiveness of the children travelling to families rather than their participation in our group sessions.  However, the groups Iulia and I implement may be an important component of transferring their learned skills as they integrate back into Casa Sperantei, producing longer-term (positive?) effects.  In either case useful information can be gleaned from the surveys. 

One of the sisters has agreed to speak with the groups to tell them that we need at least an hour each day to conduct groups with the children.  [This compromise definitely is not ideal, as we will only see the children once a week instead of twice a week.  And while an hour of time doesn't seem like much, having concepts reinforced every three days varies dramatically from every seven days.  But with my frustration mounting, I will take what I can get.]  The volunteers are encouraged and welcomed to join, and I have asked Iulia to come to more of the activities the volunteers conduct so we can carryover our strategies in different settings.  This continuity will be beneficial not only for the children but also for the caregivers-- more exposure to the techniques and strategies may aid in their implementation of some of them.  This time can theoretically be used for my individual sessions with the children as well (many of them begged me for this time together the past week).  I also suggested speaking with the volunteers to highlight our objectives for addressing behaviors with the children and providing them with simple strategies to elicit positive interactions.  Because we already have written suggestions we give to the Italian "adoptive" families, Iulia posited that we edit these a bit and give them to the volunteers upon their arrival.  Hopefully these changes go over well and we can successfully work together with the volunteers!

Out and About

Accompanying the children on field trips to various places in Romania is one of the few benefits of the influx of volunteers here.  On Tuesday we ventured to the gorgeous town of Sinaia (30km away in the mountains) to visit the Castel Peleș. Because of its popularity, we had to wait in line for several groups, some of whom came out of nowhere and entered before us.  As one group made their way through the masses one of the Italian volunteers murmered, "They're American, they have the money."  I turned and smiled at her because the statement probably rang true.  At the same time the children all began excitedly telling me "they're American" and pointing as they passed by.  They are all very proud when people from the US visit their country. 

After almost an hour of waiting we finally went inside the castle-- definitely a gorgeous piece of architecture and craftsmanship.  While I only understood random bits and pieces of what the guide said, most of the castle contains original furniture and decor from the 1600-1700s and has required little restoration.  Most of the children enjoyed seeing parts of the castel but could have easily zipped through in a third of the time the 45-minute tour lasted.  Nevertheless I was impressed by their behavior inside.  After the castle we had a picnic lunch near the forest, and then went to a nearby playground to let the children run around. 

 



The group at Castel Peleș

Another fun thing I did with the volunteers was walk to the supermarket with the children, as mundane as that sounds to many of us.  For some of the children this marked the first time they saw the inside.  Even for those who had been before the chance to go again was a rare adventure.  With almost a one-to-one ratio of adults to children, we took each child through the aisles to look at everything the store sold.  The children enjoyed pointing out each type of food and stating whether or not they liked it.  Many of them passed up and down the aisles several times, intrigued by the vastness of the store (even though it contains only 9 aisles).  After spending quite awhile in the store each child picked out an ice cream to experience going through the check-out line.  When sitting outside to eat their ice cream many children asked questions about the beggars and gypsies standing around the doors.  Unfortunately my feeble responses were inadequate to explain their circumstances.  Exposure to these situations definitely helps the children see the social circumstances that surround us, and will be useful as Iulia and I try to teach them empathy.  Again, I was impressed by the children's behavior inside the store, as well as during the long trek to and from.  The fact that almost half of the children are now in Italy or various homes in Romania makes trips like this much easier (albeit this doesn't help with the consistency of participating in the activities Iulia and I are implementing.)

This marks the half-way point of my journey here.  While I continually experience frustrations, barriers, and set-backs, I am eager to see what the next 8 weeks bring.  At the same time I am eager to return home to see family and friends, as well as indulge in conversations in English.  I can truly say this has been a great learning experience thus far that will provide necessary knowledge in pursuing similar work in my future.  Plus I'll have learned a new language (and pieces of another one)!  Thank you to those praying for me and supporting me-- God has been working in me and through me each day.  Perseverence, diligence, tenacity, and patience represent the key characteristics as I move forward.  And so, I keep pressing onward.

Flying Solo

With Iulia on vacation this week I was left to my own demises.  Obviously this meant that the children did not participate in their small group activities and no caregiver meeting took place; this further delays the progress we hope to see, but is part of the nature of life.  While I think the children appreciated the break from organized activities, they still continually queried when we will resume playing together.

The "therapy" room

I took advantage of the free time (both mine and the children's) by inviting 4 children each day to come play with me individually for 45 minutes.  This first time together I simply observed their behaviors and emotions.  Most of the children relished this escape from the world (a few declined, preferring to ride a bicycle or rollerblade).  Even having made a schedule of times with their corresponding names the children seemed not to grasp the notion of taking turns and wanted to come with me each day.  Because I will only be able to meet with each child individually 4 or 5 times I'm not fully convinced of the impact this time will have on their behaviors when transferred to a large group.  However, I am glad that I can provide them with a temporary gift of solitary time, one I know they definitely cherish. [On a side note, one of the sisters (the head cook whom I have developed great rapport with) approached me to congratulate me after my individual session with one of the children.  She said another sister commented on how much better adjusted the girl was during the remainder of the day.]

During our time together many of the children were initially overwhelmed with making a choice to play a game/complete an activity.  Most seemed very disorganized in their selection and did not stick with an activity for longer than 10 minutes.  Several were eager to learn how to play new games ("Trouble", "Memory Match", "Go Fish") and truly enjoyed the one-on-one attention in a quiet place.  The majority didn't say much during the session; I'm not sure whether this was out of choice or because they know my communication skills are limited.  But my newly acquired Italian skills came in very handy, and I am making much more progress in comprehending and speaking this language-- it's definitely an answered prayer.  It was also very clear from the sessions that the children vie for attention by displaying immature or inappropriate behaviors.  They also continually looked to me for approval and wanted to see my reactions to certain actions.  Subsequent sessions I will utilize therapeutic strategies to address the concerns I found while still allowing them their independence in choosing activities.  I am also happy to report that one of the sisters asked to see my therapy notes at the conclusion of my time here so she can present them to the teachers and volunteers in Italy in order to track the "evolution" of the children.  At least I know she values my clinical judgement and my work with the children (even if she isn't willing to change her behaviors).

Another major task for the week was creating large posters of the rules developed by the caregivers and children last week.  Several of the children helped by coloring pictures, cutting various items, and gluing things onto the posterboards.  They (and I too, admittedly) were very proud of the final products.  This upcoming week Iulia and I will review these rules with the children, make sure they understand what each rule means, and then post them in their respective places to be seen on a daily basis.  We'll see how well they follow through with complying to the rules and how well the caregivers do with helping them comply.



Rules for bedtime





Rules for mealtime



Yesterday a second group of Italian volunteers arrived with several days worth of activities planned for the children (they leave on Wednesday, I believe).  My diligence in studying Italian has definitely paid off, allowing me to communicate with the volunteers on an elementary level.  I can also participate more in their activities and continue to utilize my strategies with the children.  On the other hand, their arrival puts another cramp in the schedule of activities and individual time I created.  This also means the reintegration of several children who have been in Italy for the past two weeks, as well as several other children leaving for Italy.  While I understand the value of being flexible, I must also bear in mind that I only have 9 weeks left with the children.  So many unexpected barriers!  It will definitely be interesting to see what September brings regarding measurable results, especially with such inconsistency.

The Right Kind of Attention

After a rather quiet week previously, this week proved very busy.  Not only did we conduct two meetings with the caregivers, but also we began our program with the children.  And because my packages finally arrived I was able to distribute the Romanian translated CBCL for the caregivers to fill-out on each child. 

The first meeting with the caregivers focused on the creation of rules.  As of now no formal written rules exist within Casa Sperantei, making it difficult for the children to know what each caregiver expects of them.  Children with behavioral problems tend to respond better to written rules because they can see them and be reminded of them throughout the day.  Some of the major concepts I addressed for developing rules included: 1.) making them clear and simple, 2.) using "we" language, 3.) telling the children what to do, not what not to do, and 4.) associating each rule with a picture for children who cannot read.  I also stressed the importance of talking with the children to ensure they understand what each rule means, repeatedly teaching the child how to implement each rule, and focusing attention on those who follow the rules.  Because the caregivers identified mealtime and bedtime as the most difficult aspects of the day I had them create rules for each of those times integrating the concepts we discussed.  They did a really great job with this! 

Later in the week Iulia and I asked a couple groups of children for their ideas on rules during mealtime and bedtime.  They were very excited at the opportunity to give their input!  Many of the rules lined-up with those of the caregivers, but they had additional ideas as well.  I brought these ideas back to the caregivers, asked if they liked the additional rules, and then merged the two lists together.  This coming week I will work with the children to make posters of the rules, having them color and cut-out the pictures, to encourage their participation even more.  Hopefully their increased involvement will provide a sense of ownership with the rules and increase their compliance.  Iulia and I will take-on the major role of making sure the children understand each rule, and have the children repeat the rules to really ingrain them in their mind.

Our second meeting focused on the reasons behind behaviors and the research behind behavior development in orphanages.  While this meeting was less instructional and more informative, I feel most of the caregivers gained knowledge they had not heard before.  Many of them said they did not know why the children act the way they do and were curious to find out the reasons.  For almost all the children here they just want attention, and they know that by acting out they will receive the attention desired.  Additionally, little time has been spent teaching them how to act appropriately when playing with one another (even though they have been told myriad times).  It is through practice and being held accountable for their behaviors that children learn.  Unfortunately the caregivers have a difficult job and it is much easier to yell at/punish a child for behaving poorly rather than taking the time to ensure he/she actually implements good behaviors.  So the children simply take things from each other without asking, hit or kick each other when they want something, cry when they don't get what they want, and continually yell in each others' faces-- all because each of these has been positively reinforced.  I also wanted to make the caregivers aware of the developmental consequences facing the children at Casa Sperantei simply because of the fact they are raised in an orphanage-setting.  Using the research, I created two graphs that highlighted the differences in cognitive and psychological outcomes between orphanage-reared and community-reared children.  While the reactions of the caregivers was not as dramatic as I expected, I think they were surpised by the anxiety and depression rates.  The good news is that the caregivers can make a difference in reversing these outcomes through implementing the strategies I'm teaching them.

For the first week in working with the children I couldn't have asked for much more from the children.  While they definitely struggled in consistently implementing positive behaviors, it was obvious many put forth efforts to listen, share, and act civilized towards one another.  As the week progressed, they began to realize that Iulia and I give attention to the children who behave well and those children are the ones who are rewarded (with praise, stickers, playing with sidewalk chalk).  And they all know very well that if we see them hit/kick each other or not follow the instructions they must spend two minutes sitting in "the chair" watching.  Eventually this time-out period will need to be increased to match their appropriate ages (1 minute per year), but for now I want them participating more in order to learn the skills they need.  Unfortunately I have observed little change in the behaviors outside of the group time, but I cannot really expect that in such a short period of time.  Plus, the caregivers play an integral role in carrying forth the principles Iulia and I are teaching the children; a role I haven't seen adopted very much.  At the meeting on Thursday I asked that at least one caregiver be present during each group time so they can learn from the behaviors of Iulia and I, and so they can see certain strategies in action.

Fortunately the children all love the games/activities planned for them and cannot wait for the next time they get to play with us (even those who were penalized).  From parachute games to magic carpet rides to "rainmaker" to circle games with a ball the children must incorporate myriad positive social skills to participate.  We spend the first 10 minutes or so of our hour together discussing important principles such as listening, following instructions, and respecting one another.  The oldest girls tend to have the most difficulty, and act more like 7 year olds than 10 or 11 year olds-- again because they want attention and are used to getting what they want.  For example, one of the activities I had them make picture frames by gluing on positive attributes of themselves and decorating them.  Then we sat in a circle and the girl with the ball had to tell everyone what positive attributes she has, then throw the ball to someone else.  The girl who caught the ball had to tell the other one nice thing.  Shockingly the girls struggled with this seemingly simple request!  Now that I have an greater idea of the skills each age group needs to focus on the most I can design the games/activities even better.  And Iulia suggested the next several weeks we work with even smaller groups (5-6 children instead of 7-9) to give even more attention to each child.  As the children get better at implementing the desired skills we will gradually make the groups larger.  Iulia and I are very eager to see what changes occur by the time I leave in September-- not only within our group time but also throughout the day.  Alas, we too must practice patience!    

Let the Games Begin!



Parașute!

While the weather proved less than cooperative this week (windy and rainy), the children thoroughly enjoyed the activities planned for them.  And I'm thankful we finally are working with the children!  We began the week with parachute games-- a much anticipated event for the children since posting the weekly schedule two days prior.  "What is 'parachute'?", they kept asking curiously; I responded with, "Wait; it's a fun surprise."  All age groups had a great time learning the new games that required them to practice their listening and teamwork skills.  And they continually talk about the parachute and want to know when we will play with it again.  As imaginable, the children struggled with implementing these behaviors.  Right now I can't help but invision an idyllic transformation that parallels John Kimball's experience in "Kindergarten Cop." 



"Wou, este super!" -- "Wow, it is super!"



Among the other activities, we also ventured on a magic carpet ride.  After donning our prince and princess hats and avoiding the mean dragon by staying on the carpet, we flew to the land of sharing, the land of taking turns, the land of teamwork, and the land of manners.  Each "land" challenged them to use these skills in order to complete a task.  Those who successfully demonstrated the behaviors received a sticker and the satisfaction of participating in the fun activity.



The land of teamwork-- completing a puzzle together.



The land of manners:  "Mulțumesc."..."Cu placere."

It is very evident that the children struggle with simple behaviors that are ingrained in most children early-on.  While attributable to myriad factors, the fact that they receive little individual attention to develop these skills and those who display behaviors receive that much-desired attention definitely impacts their success in social situations.  This week was very challenging, for both us and the children, but I know they already recognize that Iulia and I give attention only to those who behave well.  Nevertheless, even those penalized during the activity time are asking "Do we have activities/games today?!" (on the weekend) or "When will we get to play with you again?"  Inherently this brings a smile to my face.  They also have been wonderful with adjusting to the translation process, and somewhat enjoy listening to me speak in English.  We have a long way to go on our journey together, but the adventure is worthwhile.