Oh Canada!
I had a really long day at church today. I went for my usual service at ten in the morning, when I came home and looked at the clock, it was around 10PM. My typical sunday schedule goes something like this: service, teaching at preschool ministry, lunch out with friends and basketball. By the time I get home, it's usually 8PM. What a long day, right?
Anyways, I couldn't go for basketball today because of preschool ministry meeting. The meeting went on for almost three hours? Some of the important aspects were covered today that I found really helpful - about the 3-5 year olds that we teach. How they are different from one another in various areas in their stage of their life. We also spend some time talking about about Halleluja Night that's coming up at the end of the month and a little bit about Christmas planning. Two months left til Christmas... can you believe it?
At the restaurant, there was a group of people who were sitting across from our table. It was a group of four - a mom and her two children in elementary school, probably younger grades, and another woman, who seemed like she would be their aunt. I thought it was weird for them to order alcohol, although it came with the meal (we went to a all you can eat sam-gyup-sal restaurant, and if there are certain number of people, you can a free bottle of alcohol). I mean, they could've gotten a pop for the children just like us, but the fact that they chose alcohol as their option... that was interesting, I thought. Because in my understanding, when a family goes out to eat, normally the parents or in this case, the adults don't order any alcohol. Especially a bottle. I think I can be more flexible when it comes to a glass of wine with steak for dinner, but I don't think I would order it unless my children are old enough to understand. Anyways, in my culture and in my family, I would not expect for the adults to drink in front of the children... especially not to the extent when the adults are tipsy...!
Well, I noticed that the kids were bored once they were done eating and curious on why the mom and her friend were talking for a while. Later, other teachers and I noticed the noise level from that table go up really high, we couldn't hear ourselves speak. It seemed like she was venting or arguing about something. Then I started hearing swear words... I got really shocked. The mom not having etiquette was one problem, but more importantly, she shouldn't be talking like that in front of her own kids. We got up around the same time to get the bill, and I made eye contact with one child. I could see fear and confusion in her eyes. I just wanted to take the children away from their mom, at least until she was calmed down. Could I have done anything for the children?
As preschool teachers, I think we all had a similar opinion about drinking and swearing in front of the children and our behaviour when we are in a setting with the children. It got me think about my upbringing, and how I will be when I become a mom.
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