Dear Oak,
I heard someone say, “We don’t like them because they boom us.” We care for ourselves and each other and that means keeping ourselves and others safe. And it’s okay not to like someone, and at Rainbow School, we still love and care for everyone whether we like them or not. I love each of you whether you boom or not.
Some booms are loud scary voices. Some booms are ouchie words. Some booms are pushes. Some booms are kicks. Some booms are punches. Some booms are things thrown or swung. I do not like booms.
I don’t like booming, and I want to keep myself safe. I know that all people boom, including me. It’s how our bodies and brains work. Something surprises us, startles us, or scares us, and our bodies boom without our brain wanting to.
Just like if we surprise a rattle snake or a black widow, they may boom us with their fangs and venom or looking scary or rattling their tail. It’s how they keep themselves safe from other animals that want to eat them. We know the best way to keep ourselves safe from their booms is to keep our distance and not surprise them.
My booms look like getting big and loud, and I feel bad after I boom. I feel sorry. And then I try to understand what surprised, startled, or scared me. That helps me so the next time I’m not surprised, startled, or scared.
Sometimes, I see one of you trying to take care of a friend or sibling, and you BOOM. Sometimes, I’m trying to care for others and keep them safe and my big and loud helped. For instance, I see someone about to run too close to the swing, and I yell, “Stop!”
Even so, I don’t want to be scary, and I can check in with anyone who might have been scared to see if there’s anything I can do and to tell them how sorry I feel.
As we grow older, we learn how to pause and how to take care of ourselves, so we boom less and less. We all know that it’s never okay to hurt someone. Also, other people help us. They share their calm with us until we feel calm too.
I don’t like it when I boom, and I don’t like to be boomed. And I still love me, and I still love you.
Love,
Teacher Michelle