Stone Soup: A Thanksgiving Tradition

Enjoying the Soup

Do you have any special traditions you do every year with your children?

At our center, Love To Grow On (http://lovetogrowon.com/), we have a Stone Soup meal the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. We invite family, and friends to come join us for lunch on this special day. 

It started out as a small event 17 years ago and has grown. Today we had about 110 people at our feast.

Acting Out the Story

The children start learning about the story of Stone Soup right after Halloween. We usually use the French Tale about 3 hungry soldiers returning from war and the villagers who are afraid of strangers. The villagers are trying to protect what little they have left. There are so many good versions we read several throughout the month.

We talk about the ingredients used in the soup and we make a Friendship Salad to add to the meal. Families sign up to bring several items to complete the meal and invitations are sent out to invite people to our meal. We always invite family and friends of the children and staff, volunteers who help at our school and occasionally other guests. One year Minnesota's Governor Al Quie joined us for our meal.

Washing the Carrots

The Monday before Stone Soup we all work together to make the soup. The infants and toddlers help wash the potatoes, apples and carrots. The preschool classes cut the carrots, and potatoes, family members come in and help cut up grapes and oranges up for the fruit salad (Friendship Salad).  It is a tradition that still excites our School Age kids even though they are at school during the meal.

Cutting Carrots

They still help with cutting up vegetables and fruits, setting out tables and devouring leftovers when they return from school.  It is a tradition many families talk about and miss even after their children have aged out of our care.
"It was delicious and such a great tradition. Sad that it's our last. Thank you!" parent of an older preschooler

"First time in 4 years we haven't gone :(. Such a wonderful tradition." Recently moved family

"Today, I was thinking and missing this wonderful tradition that was happening at LTGO!!" Former staff member

"Darn, that smells good! Wish we had no school today!" Current School Ager.

"I want my soup! I already tried it and it tastes good, I want my soup now."  Younger Preschooler

My not so little nieces

I love it because of the fond memories it creates for everyone. When my nieces were little they came with my parents to help prepare the meal and share the meal.  Isabelle enjoyed the time with her Auntie, even though she was very unhappy the soup was full of vegetables.  Elizabeth took charge, helping the "little kids" learn how to cut, even though she was their age or a little older.  She loved the leadership role and being her Auntie's helper.

We try to extend this idea of tradition; by asking parents to share with us holiday traditions they do, special foods they make or games they play during the holidays. We then try to incorporate many of those ideas in our classroom to celebrate the families that make up our classroom family. 

Our Stone Soup Recipe:

Stock Pots Cooking Away

Chicken Stock
Chicken Base
Cut Frozen Carrots 
Baby carrots
Potatoes
Onions
Cans of Corn, Peas & Tomatoes
Salt & Pepper to taste
Garlic (fresh)
Paprika
Curry (sweet & hot) to taste
a dash of Season Salt
a pinch of Sage

Start on simmer the day before, do not let come to a boil!
Remove after 5 hours or so of cooking and keep in fridge over night.  Start the rewarming 6 hours before the meal and again do not let it boil.  Chicken soups loose their flavor if boiled.

Our Friendship Salad Recipe:

Identifying the Fruits & Vegetables for our Meal

Bananas
Apples
Mandarin Oranges
Grapes (quartered)
Fruit Cocktail 
Cool Whip

Drain the cans of fruit.  Mix all fruit cut up with the cool whip and chill before serving.  Leave out any fruits that toddlers and infants can not eat mix the salad pull some off for them and add in the fruits held out once you have some set aside for younger children.

We also ask for rolls (white & wheat) and butter to add to the meal.

Tasting the Soup before the Big Meal

Stories of our favorite stories on Stone Soup:

Stone Soup (Aladdin Picture Books) by Marcia Brown  (Author, Illustrator)

Stone Soup by Ann Mcgovern (Author),‎ Winslow Pinney Pels (Illustrator)

Stone Soup by Jon J Muth 

Check out our center:
http://lovetogrowon.com/

https://www.facebook.com/Love-To-Grow-On-108031595901282/

Retrospective on Respect

Respect can be defined as due regard for the feelings, wishes, rights or traditions of others.

I have been thinking about respect lately.
What is it?
Is it something you deserve or is it something you earn?
Why does it matter?

The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) mentions respect several times in their core values:
Respect the dignity, worth, and uniqueness each individual (child, family member, and colleague).
Respect diversity in children, families and colleagues.
Recognize that children and adults achieve their full potential in the context of relationships that are based on trust and respect.
We act with integrity, respect, and trust.(www.naeyc.org)

I believe respect is taught as well as earned.

However,  I am concerned we are more focused on the respect we perceive we are owed. If we want children to grow up having respect for others and for the property of others we must model those behaviors.

If I want to be respected as a professional; I must present myself as a professional.
I must dress appropriately for moving freely with children, yet not so casual I am not viewed as not taking pride in my position, as an Early Childhood Educator. I must remember that parents are watching me. Yes they are judging me on the care I take of myself. Be honest, we have all judged someone by their appearance, yes even children and their parents.

I must speak professionally. Parents are not interested in the nitty-gritty details of my evening and weekend activities. Do you discuss such things with your doctor or newspaper carrier? Then why would you become so familiar with the families who have children in your care? Keep topics to the child, their family and if asked divulge only pertinent information about your life. Would you want your physician spending your physical discussing their up coming divorce?

I must continue to grow in my education.  How can you keep your teaching fresh, relevant and fun? Grow. Take classes, attend professional forums and conferences,  read, and share with coworkers and other professionals in the field of Early Childhood Development.
Approach each of these situations with an open mind and no preconceived ideas. What can you learn or how can you grow if you feel you know it all already; or know it better than those around you?

Besides acting in a professional manner I must treat others, (children, families and coworkers) with respect.

When children are talking to you; stop what you are doing and look at the child.  Listen to them and use reflective listening skills when answering them. What they is important and should be valued as such.

When speaking with parents; take time to actively engage and restate questions so they know you are listening.  Let them have input in decisions you are making so they feel valued as the co-educator they are.  Be willing to try out their ideas, don't just dismiss them as not going to work, or already been there done that.  Ask for more specifics on how they handle situations, you are encountering, at home and what is effective for them.

When working with coworkers; Be respectful when they are teaching.
Is it group time? Stay quietly in the background, Do Not talk over them.  Why is your question more important than what the teacher and children are doing?

Are they speaking with a child, parent or coworker? Wait your turn.  If you interrupt you are modeling it is OK to interrupt others. (I see lots of us in this profession putting our needs ahead of others. I get it we are busy, but it is not about us.)

Do you disagree with their approach? Be respectful. Set up a time to meet with them to address the issue.  Do not go to others and complain.  Model conflict resolution.  It is a hard skill and one that needs to be practiced.

I will admit I need to grow in these areas.
I am far from perfect.

I fear as we are drawn more into impersonal, technological use we are forgetting what true respect is, but demanding we get it.

Are You Displaying an Attitude of Gratitude?

I am thankful for sunrises & sunsets!

We are entering a time when we focus on Thanksgiving here in America.  Yet it follows on the heals of some very tragic events.  Our world has been full of sad events this year.  Fires, Hurricanes, Monsoons, Earth Quakes, Terrorism, Violence, and so much more.  

Perhaps even your family has personally been touched by tragedy.  Yet In order to move on we need to find reason's to be thankful.  It is an important skill we need to model for our children and share with adults around us.  So how can we do that?

Let's look at the definition of THANKFULNESS first:

1. It is to be conscious of the benefit we received or are about to received

2. To express thanks

3. To be pleased 

Now to move on to GRATITUDE:

1. The quality of being thankful.

2. The readiness to show appreciation for something.

3. To return kindness. 

I know all day long I am watched by little eyes, and listened to with little ears taking in how I handle a situation. If I hold resentment or frustration they see it.  So I must first, check my own feelings and then find positive ways to express gratitude or find something good in the situation.

If they see this modeled enough they will soon practice it and soon it will become a habit for all of us.

I am not in anyway suggesting this is an easy thing to do.  

It is a choice.  

Like many choices we are faced with; the right one is not always the easy one. I had Ovarian cancer in 2008.  I had to choose to have chemotherapy.  I am thankful it worked and I am now 8 years cancer free.  I was worn out, tired and lost my hair.  Yet I am thankful I did not have the sever nausea some people have.  I was able to work most days and I had a care team that worked around my schedule so I could spend days with my kids at school because they realized the children kept me moving going.

When stress hit you at work, do you shake it off and find joy in the children in your care?  Or do you chew on the frustration missing the good around you? How can you find the good and be thankful?

Being thankful is contagious.  It eventually wears off on others.  They look to you to help them find the positive in life and soon they too are sharing an attitude of gratitude with others. What a gift to teach children young.  Perhaps the more we model it the less anger, violence and hate will will see becomes it will come more naturally and those in our care will teach others around them throughout their life to be Thankful in all things.

Some of my Favorite Books:

The Bernstein Bears Giant Pumpkin

Stone Soup

The Giving Tree 

Thank You For Thanksgiving 

The Relatives Came 

 

Some helpful links:

• 1. https://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/spiritual-growth-for-kids/gratitude/teaching-thankfulness

  2. http://www.pbs.org/parents/special/article-ten-ways-raise-grateful-kid.html
     https://www.jellytelly.com/blog/three-bible-stories-teach-kids-thankfulness
     https://www.healthychildren.org/English/family-life/Community/Pages/12-Tips-for-Teaching-Children-Gratitude.aspx 
     https://www.babble.com/kid/10-childrens-books-to-inspire-grateful-young-hearts/