Sunbeams are Crazy!

On Sundays I sit with the Sunbeams. Sunbeams are 3 years olds turning 4. Usually I just sit with them during singing time. But this week at church I volunteered (remember that part) to teach them because their teacher wasn't there.  They are pretty good during singing time; just have to remind them that we keep our hands to ourselves.  And 3-4 is such a cute age, right?  I was wrong.

First was a bathroom pit stop where children proceeded to climb on the toilets, look over and under the stalls, take WAY too much soap and make too much noise that should ever be had in a church bathroom.  This lesson was off to a not so reverent start.

Pause for a minute.... I have substituted the sunbeams before, different congregation though. So I thought I knew what I was getting into.... nothing too hard to handle after years of babysitting. Okay, un-pause.

After potty break we went to our class.  I decided to skip the drinking fountain, too much to handle with all these 3 and 4 years olds. (There were 6 total.... 5 boys and 1 girl).  So off to a tiny classroom we went.  

For some reason I thought that the kids would sit quietly, or somewhat quietly during a lesson. Nope, I was wrong.  I must be used to my 14-18 year old girls I usually teach.  The children made loud noises all class, got in each other's bubbles ( a little too much not keeping their hands to themselves), eating paper, opening the drawers, crawling under the counters..... and so much more.  At one point I felt what I believe every mother feels, and now sunbeam teachers feel... A moment where I thought "I give up. I can't control these kids. I give up."

We did have a short lesson about families. Now if any of that actually made it to the heads, who knows.  But I tried. We sang songs, we tried to get our wiggles out, and well it was an adventure to say the least.   I now understand why it takes 2 adults in that class usually.  And I will most likely think twice before volunteering on my own.  

I still think that the sunbeam age is still a cute age, just maybe not 6 of them all in the same room at one time.  But what an adventure I had at church that day. (Too bad we didn't have dino nuggets.)