How To Do Storytime For Young Children During The Holiday Season?

I would tell her I was only comfortable doing it the way you’ve presented it to us and if she isn’t happy with that, maybe she has to look for someone else to do it.

@comity, why don’t you do it the same way you did storytime at the public library in December?

She wants Christmas period. I’ll have to let her know I’m not comfortable doing that. I like to be all inclusive for the sake of the attending children, but like the argument people have over saying ‘Merry Christmas’ or ‘Happy Holidays’, it can ruffle feathers.

I agree with @janbb. If you aren’t comfortable presenting a program like the head of the nursery school wants, perhaps she should find someone else to do the program.

@comity So what did you think of my suggestion of talking to her about it? You may need to decide whether it is more important to you to do it and do it the way she wants if she is rigid about it or to not compromise how you feel it should be done.

@janbb The trouble is I wait until the last minute to speak up. I’m doing a program this Friday. I think I’ll just cover seasons, winter, snow and speak to her about the program I’m doing on December 12th. I really love to work with the kids and sometimes wish I wasn’t such a stickler about inclusion. But, I would really feel badly leaving some kids out.

@comity Are you sure she leaves the other religions and holiday celebrations out? Is there any possibility she wants you to do Christmas because someone else is doing Chanukah? Do you know for certain there are non-Christian children in the school?

To be honest, I keep picturing reading books my mother read to us every year when I was that age and they are the same books I read to my children. The Little Match Girl and The Fir Tree by Hans Christian Andersen and The Gift of the Magi by O Henry. I read The Christmas Day Kitten by James Herriot to my children and nieces and nephews. They loved the story as much as I do.

I understand if you have a problem with being exclusively Christmas though. How much time and how many stories did you plan to read?

I’m the only reader other than the teachers and she may include Chanukah during class time. I don’t know. I think there are other children, not positive. Maybe it’s because I’m a mixed bag (Jewish mother) and am sensitive to feeling “left out” but, why not include all?

@comity I agree with your attitude. I would call her today and tell her what you are planning but if you want to do just winter stuff tomorrow and then talk to her, do it that way. I would not compromise my feelings.

Is it a Christian nursery school?

My feeling is that you’re a volunteer and you can do it the way you think best, and if they don’t like it, they don’t need to have you come. If you want to be with the kids more than anything, then you do it the way they want it. It’s all a matter of priorities. Which is more important? Being with kids or staying true to your beliefs?

I will say this. I believe that your presence and the way you behave will probably teach more than any story.

@comity I understand that sensitivity, I am Jewish, and being the Jewish kid sucked sometimes when everyone is getting Santa gifts and I’m not. But, the stories and the cartoons for Christmas did not affect me negatively, it was more about the lack of a tree in my own house, and not having santa visit my house. I agree, why not be inclusive if you will be reading several stories. If you have not asked the teacher yet if you can add one story you feel is more secular, I think you should ask. Just say you read it at the library and the children loved it, ask the teacher if she will look it over for possible approval.

Last year I went to a nursery school to tell the children about Chanukah, my husband talked about Christmas traditions in MX, they had various speakers at various times. I have no idea what other holidays were talked about on different days, so that is why I mentioned maybe the school does have other people present other holidays.

I agree with @wundayatta If the school is a Christian school I would feel fine about only reading Christmas stories.

If the parents of the children attending school there are ok with their children only hearing Christmas stories I personally would be ok with only reading those stories. At such a young age what the parent of a child deems appropriate regarding religious holidays is what I would respect most, not what I want.

Its not a Christian School and not a question for me about politics. Just feelings for the kids. It will be a fun Christmas theme for the preschoolers with books like ‘Santa’s New Suit’ and ‘The Bear Santa Claus Forgot’. And, we’ll dance to Rock and Roll Christmas and Have a Holly Jolly Christmas. I wouldn’t want to ruin it for the majority. But I will ask if we can touch on Chanukah with songs like ‘I Had A Little Dreidel’ and Kwanza with the childrens Kwanza song. I will email her today. You really got me to think things out and I thank you all for your wonderful responses. What a great site Fluther is!!

This sucks. She will prob not like that you want to be inclusive and will find someone else who will reinforce Christian hegemony.

@comity Let us know what happens.

I emailed what I want to do tomorrow and what I’d like to do on the 12th. She wrote back “Super” Yippee! I was worried about how she’d respond and she was very amicable. She also enjoys watching me with the kids dancing, singing, interacting, etc. and maybe she felt that was more important than restricting what I want to do and feel comfortable with.

@comity Yay! All that worry for nothing. Always good to give someone a chance to agree or disagree with all the info.

By the way, I use the term nursery school also, but I rarely here it still called that. Everyone uses pre-school now. Are you just using the old term, or do they actually still call it nursery school in your neck of the woods.

@JLeslie They call it nursery school.

@comity What state are you in? Are you in NY?

JLeslie I’m in the finger lakes area of New York in a rural area, near Ithaca, New York. A transplant from the NYC area.

@comity Figures. I grew up in NY when I was little, in Westchester County, and my parents are from the Bronx. I was guessing you might be from the same neck of the woods. We have a few jellies here who live nearish to you, if you stick around you will come across them.

@JLeslie Lived in Westchester County, Briarcliff Manor, NY for 35 years.

@comity Hastings-on-Hudson.

I lived in Lancing for a couple of years, right on the lake. I loved it.

@ wundayatta That’s where I did Storytime Plus this AM and it went well : )

Don’t make story time religious during the holiday season there is a wall of separation between
church and state.

Did winter themes and am home sick with a bad cold so won’t be doing any holidays. Whew! Saved by a cough!!