Violent 9's and a Soapbox Plea

Today one of the boy's in my primary class turned around and whispered to me "Where are the Violent 9's?"

Confused I asked him to repeat himself. "Where are the Violent 9's?" he asked again. I finally made the connection that he was asking where the Valiant 9's were. I told them that they were in their classroom. "Oh" he said, "because my sister is in the Violent 9's." I had to chuckle. I have a son that is 9 and actually there are a couple of kids in that class that could possibly make the teachers call it "The Violent 9's" at home or in whispered tones under their breath to one another. LOL!

(for non lds readers the Valiant is one of the names of the classes that they use for primary kids we have Valiant 8, 9, 10 and 11.)

Now....stepping up on my soapbox and making a plea. I've debated and debated posting this but I really need to get it off of my chest so....

As a teacher, nay as a parent, I beg of you other parents of children, especially younger children....PLEASE do not let your children bring toys, pencil boxes, notebooks etc. to class. Please.

I really don't care how big of a fit your child is throwing because they don't want to leave the toy at home. I don't. YOU be the bad guy. Don't make ME be the bad guy. Toys are incredibly disruptive to class and the Spirit of any meeting. And I dislike having to tell a child over and over to either put the toy in their pocket or under their chairs. JUST LEAVE THE TOYS HOME.

I do have an exception with babies and toys because
1. they usually don't have a class to go to and
b. because they usually don't use the toy to tease or enchant other kids as, sometimes, older children will.

That said, I have been guilty of taking toys for my kids. I have repented. My kids now know that toys are for home not for church. My youngest will sometimes throw a fit about taking a toy and we compromise. She can take the toy with her in the car but it stays in the car, it does not go into the church building. If we take something to church it is usually books, or notebooks, and paper and pencils, BUT those things do not go to class with them. They are in my bag. They stay with me.

It is not only hard in class but it's hard when I take my kids into sacrament meeting and there are other children on the bench in front of us or behind us or across the aisle from us that have toys out playing with them. Running cars along the back of the pews or holding pretend games with action figures, or the best of all is when they bring toys that actually MAKE NOISE! How is that any better than a cell phone going off in sacrament meeting?

My kids are not angels. I have one son who will sneak toys in his pockets. I'm hoping that he's learning it's not a wise thing to do. Just last week at PTC his school teacher informed us of this bad habit. She now has permission to confiscate any toy that he has without warning and hold it until the end of the school year.

As a primary teacher I usually ask the kids to put the toys in their pockets or under their chairs so as not to be disruptive to the class. I have a "three strikes rule" where if I have to ask them three times then I hold the toy until the end of class and then I give it back.

I have made exceptions. There have been children in my classses that have autism who use the toy to keep them calm and they are less disruptive with the toy than they are without it. Or it's less disruptive for them to keep the toy than it would be for me to try and take it from them.

For the most part, though, children know that church is not a time for toys. It's a time to learn and feel of the Spirit and having toys there makes such a distraction. It makes it so not only does the child with the toy usually not listen but it also makes it so the kids that are in class or around him/her have a difficult time listening. It also makes it harder for the Spirit to be there because I am constantly having to ask the child to put the toy away and that takes time away from teaching. We have precious few minutes to teach the lessons as it is.

I realize that there are those who will totally and completely disagree with me on this and that's o.k. It's just an honest plea from a teacher of 13 and a parent of 4 who is trying her best to help these kids feel the Spirit and understand and enjoy that feeling. Take it for what it is.

Deep breath. Stepping off of Soapbox now.