Jiminy Cricket

Our kindergarten lesson was on decision making one week. The classes had already learned that our brains can help us think about the consequences of our actions, and that week I was teaching the children about how a conscience helps us know right from wrong. We all have a brain and a conscience, and they're always with us even when grown-ups aren't around to help us figure out what to do, which is a comforting thought!  Well, on this particular day, a fair-haired little girl was on the same wavelength I was. I even accused her of being able to read my mind! As I got ready to make a point with the class, she'd raise her hand and say pretty much what I was about to teach! Of course I loved this because I reckoned that the kids would like learning from her wisdom better than from mine. As I prepared to make the analogy that a conscience is sort of like Jiminy Cricket was to Pinnochio, this child said it first. And later, as I got ready to explain how a conscience makes us feel guilty and ashamed when we know we've done something wrong, she again raised her hand. With shy eyes and a soft voice, this little girl made the exact point I wanted to make, only more eloquently. Quietly but confidently, she said, "Miss Mimi, when you're lying in bed at night and you've done something bad, you can't sleep because your heart feels sad." Truer words were never spoken, and I feel sure that this angel girl already has a finely developed conscience, especially for her tender age!