Say WHAT???

Push, pull, dangle!  That's one of the ways to help calm down that I'm teaching our kindergartners.  As part of a unit on calming strong feelings, we're learning some ideas that they can ALWAYS use (such as taking slow deep breaths and self-talk) along with some ways they can SOMETIMES use (such as talk, rest, exercise, and play).  After all, we never know when a strong feeling will overtake us!  Well one day last week, I taught the children how to release some tension through using their muscles without calling attention to themselves in class.  We practiced using our hands to push down firmly on the front of our thighs to a silent count of 10.  Then we put our hands on the backs of our thighs and pulled firmly. After this, we dangled our arms to relax our tired muscles.  Push, pull, dangle!  At the end of class, we were reviewing the 5 ways we can always use to calm down, even when we're in a car, the grocery store, or on the playground.  We chanted, "Breathe, count, click, boss, and push pull dangle" several times.  All of a sudden, I stopped reviewing and cracked up laughing.  A small blond boy on the front row was enthusiastically yelling, "Breathe, count, click, boss, and push pull STRANGLE!"  Of course I took some time to explain the difference in dangle and strangle, along with considering the fact that maybe I should rename this technique to push pull flop!  I can only imagine what his mom would have said if he'd gone home and told her that Miss Mimi taught him that when he gets mad he should push pull strangle!  I believe that would have been the OPPOSITE of what Miss Mimi was actually trying to teach.  Oh, the laughs I get every day as I work with 5, 6, and 7 year olds!