Duce's Wild: Nursery Rhymes: Ready or not, here come the Sunbeams

The last Sunday for our soon-to-be Sunbeams didn't go so well in nursery. I realized I hadn't chosen my words carefully and left our two oldest classmates in a state of shock over their pending departure. It all seemed so casual at first. The kids were eating trail mix and drinking from water cups. Some were sifting out the raisins and peanuts. Others were smashing Chex cereal squares with their tiny fists and enjoying the instant carnage. But the majority were just plain hungry and scarfing any offering in an instant. It has become habit for me to point to the children's pictures on our bulletin board during snack time and decide who is present and who is absent. Bright, beaming smiles demonstrate their love of recognition afforded through this weekly routine. I really got their attention, this time, when I said, "Two of these pictures won't be on the board next Sunday because Elli and Cole are 3-years-old and will go to Sunbeams. They are big kids now and won't be in nursery anymore."While my statement was true, it wasn't the most considerate. I'll never forget the look on Cole's face when he realized the monument of his existence was about to be stripped away. Elli, who has the innate ability to transform her round face into a myriad of facial expressions, bunched her eyebrows, cocked her head to the side and exclaimed loudly and with much consternation, "What?"It's not like their graduation from nursery was a surprise. They have been attending closing exercises in Primary for weeks, just to practice sitting in chairs and participating with the big kids. They are proud of the special invitation to leave nursery early each Sunday and they explain in earnest when a younger one wants to join them. "You're not 3, so you have to stay." They have been stern yet soft with their younger, envious classmates. I knew the two were ready for their next Primary adventure, yet quickly came to realize, they're not quite ready to wrap up their legacy in nursery. They are our leaders, our instigators of chasing games, our examples of careful coloring. As always, the personalities of the oldest nursery children greatly influence the tone of the classroom. Last year, we had a trio of bright and bossy girls who ruled the roost loudly and enthusiastically. We had one older boy who was full of mischievous tricks and another who was a brute — twice as wide and tall as our youngest nursery babies. Last January, the decibel level of nursery dropped drastically when our 3-year-olds advanced. This year, the difference will be less dramatic because Elli and Cole have led nursery quietly and kindly. So maybe I should have considered their individual leadership styles when making the big announcement. I should have been less dramatic and more subdued. It didn't help when several of our boisterous 2-year-old girls started exclaiming, "I am 3, too, I am 3, too!" hoping they could hop on their friend's coattails. Once we had the jumping 2-year-olds back in their seats, I tried to soften the lines of concern on Cole's face. "You can take this poster home with you and always remember when you were in nursery," I said. "Your mom will love it."It didn't really help. He just looked down and traced a trail with his finger through his pile of snacks. Later, when the children were busy with puzzles, I pulled the pins and removed Elli and Cole's picture collages. In a space on the paper I wrote, "We'll miss you in nursery, but we know Jesus wants you for a Sunbeam." I took each of them aside and quietly read what I wrote. Cole smiled. Elli smiled. I breathed a sigh of relief. Each child is special. Each child is unique. And the sooner we, as leaders, understand and adjust, our efforts will more effectively guide them to do what Jesus would like them to do in nursery and in life.