We've been growing as a ministry lately and recently it created the need to open a fourth preschool classroom (which I still need to post pics of!). As you may have read, the new classroom is called The Attic ... its not really in the attic, but on the top floor of our building and the only classroom that's up there. The stairwell leading to the classroom wasn't quite ideal. It was concrete, dirty, dark, and narrow - but it was the best option and with a little TLC it would work. Well, the first weekend came and we hadn't had time to lay the carpet, but wanted to create a traffic flow so we asked parents to carefully take their children up those stairs ... telling them carpet would be in soon.
Well, this past week the carpet was laid and the stairwell not only looked a ton better, but was also much safer! I was excited, no longer were we asking parents to take their kids up the "emergency stairwell" it was now a stairwell and it was much safer with the addition of the padded carpet instead of the hard concrete! I was certain that this would make going to the new room a much better experience!
Until this past weekend...
When one of the preschoolers asked their mom if their new room was still The Attic ... of course it was she was told. Then the child asked ... but now there's carpet, its not like an attic anymore!
You see, I was concerned about the stairwell, obviously from a safety perspective, but also from a visual perspective ... it just wasn't pleasing and who really wants to use the emergency stairwell anyway? But, the children thought that they were really heading to the attic (there is a HUGE window at the top of the stairs that overlooks the roof of the Preschool Pod) and for them that was cool.
Often kids don't care about all the material things that we get so caught up with on a day to day basis - simple is just fine with them! We find ourselves worrying about the presentation and what others will think ... but when you see the world from the eyes of a child those things don't matter ... its the people who do. The kids are more excited to see their favorite teachers each week - they don't worry about how they get there, the size of the stairwell, the color of the carpet, or that they're upstairs ... they think an attic is cool and just want to be with the people there each week!
So, look around ... what are you so caught on right now that might not really matter if you looked at it through the eyes of a child (with simplicity and a loving heart)?
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