Morning Routines = Connection Building

Ever have someone greet you into a place you were invited and you felt some sort of way the moment they spoke to you? They say “Hi”, and you think “that was a sad hello, you must not want me here.” Then your thought processes spiral into a whole story of past interactions with that person, and you want to leave? The person that greeted you probably didn’t even think another thought about it, but you did and it set a tone for that interaction.

Picture a toddler classroom. Yesterday, Thomas was tired, and grumpy and he wanted to keep building that big block fortress. A friend knocked it over, and then the teacher made him clean up before outside time. Thomas had a massive meltdown that was frustrating for the whole class!

Today, Thomas walked into the same classroom and the teacher sees him and immediately says, “Thomas, we are NOT having another day like yesterday. You better act right today!”. What kind of tone is that setting for Thomas? Think he feels seen, connected with and safe? That’s a big negative No! Does the teacher think she is setting a tone for positive behavior guidance? Probably, but what she actually did was set a tone for negative interactions and increased stress levels for everyone!

Today when he walks in, instead of being greeted with “you better act right”, his teacher says, “Thomas! I’m so glad you are here today! I remember you loved building that fortress in blocks yesterday, and I have some ideas we can try today to protect it from being knocked over!” What kind of tone is now set for Thomas? He likely felt seen, understood, connected with and safe. A quick and purposeful shift of interaction just changed how Thomas felt and how he would start interactions in his classroom.

Quick, and purposeful shifts - as simple as changing what we say in a morning greeting - can change the roadmap for the day!

What shift can you make today that will positively impact the day?

With curiosity,

Michelle Ford