Back to Brownies we go

[smallhobbit]

We had a planning meeting over the summer and started back last week.  Clearly we've been doing something right, because only one Brownie failed to return, so with two who've moved onto Guides that left us three spaces.  Strangely two of the spaces weren't taken up by the girls they were offered to, which left us with one new girl.  We'll fill the places soon enough, the waiting list is as long as ever.

Our theme for the term is Brownies Be Well.  Last week we made mindfulness jars.  The idea is very easy, and the end result was very effective, but we had to amend the process because we're not too sure who the people who wrote the instructions tried them out on, but it wasn't a normal pack of Brownies. 

Write three things which make you happy and stick to the lid of a glass jar.  I suspect chocolate featured fairly well.  Decorate glass jar. No problems so far.  Fill glass jar with water and add a teaspoon of PVA glue.  This was Flamingo with the jugs of water and Doodles with the glue - 20 Brownies measuring a teaspoon of glue each - I don't think you need a particularly vivid imagination to visualise the problems that could cause.  And then add half a teaspoon of food colouring.  Seriously?  Yes, a carefully supervised Brownie could do that, but 20 of them in groups.  Just imagine explaining to the parents why the nice clean Brownie uniform wasn't quite as pristine ...  I poured the food colouring, and still managed to get sufficient red colouring on my fingers to need to wash it off promptly before it looked like I'd murdered half of them.  Then, add three lots of glitter, mentioning one of the things which makes you happy each time.  The girls added the glitter and then fastened the lids firmly.  And afterwards we discussed the importance of happy thoughts.

Yesterday we discussed the idea of fair play, by use of a water run - carrying water from one bucket to another using paper cups, some of which had small holes in them.  Fortunately we've had a few very warm days and were able to go outside and it didn't matter that some of them got a bit wet.  And then they blew bubbles and imagined they were blowing away their worries, which vanished when the bubbles burst.  All of which they enjoyed.

I spent some of my time working with the Brownie who is causing us problems by rushing up to interrupt whoever's leading, generally pushing herself to the front, and seems to have difficulty applying statements to her own situation (We were sorting out Sixers - ie leaders of their little groups, Sixes - and Doodles said this would be Brownies who had been with us longest.  She's one of our newest girls, yet still thought she could have the role.)  My individual attention seemed to help, and one of the other leaders said the girl looked as if she felt safe with me.  We miss her old Sixer, who's gone on to Guides - she was really good with her.

Comments

[ellieet]

I was a Sixer as a Brownie and rubbish at it. I treated it like a court-martial position!

Your story of the pushy Brownie reminds me of my days in Sixth Form; during Year 12 myself and several friends featured in a school production of We Will Rock You. It was good fun, but we had one cast-member, the only Year 13 and so the oldest of the students, who thought that because she was the oldest she was somehow in charge; she would chime in with the teachers' suggestions and finally had to be taken to task by the director when she started to cut in with suggestions during a cast-meeting. It was incredibly annoying.

Hope you have a good time with the Brownies this term.

[smallhobbit]

We do try to encourage our Sixers to support the rest of their Six. And to take charge when clearing up! It's always interesting seeing the ones who were pains when they first started maturing into those who can lead and help. It doesn't always happen, but it's good when it does.

I can see how it would be annoying. This particular Brownie can be very annoying, but in that she seems almost totally unaware of what effect she's having I'm starting to suspect we're not seeing the whole picture.

Thank you :)

[ellieet]

To be honest, I think I 'was' that Brownie, and later that Guide. I didn't have much self-awareness as a kid and it often fell to my big brother to give me a nudge, which he sometimes still has to do to this day! He generously labelled me as a 'late developer.' I work in customer service, which includes hundreds of families and it's remarkable seeing the variations of self-awareness in children; the older ones maturely looking out for the younger ones and guiding and instructing them, particularly when they're just in their own world. I can't pretend I don't empathise with that sort of kid! :D

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

Nice to hear what the Brownies are up to, messy fingers and wet shoes and all the rest of it. And I am glad your individual attention is helping.

[smallhobbit]

It wouldn't be Brownies if there wasn't messiness and the potential to get wet. I don't want to say this particular girl has a problem, but if there is something it would help if we had some idea of how best to respond.

[adafrog]

Good luck.

[smallhobbit]

Thank you.

[luthienberen]

Yes...whoever wrote those instructions clearly did not have a group of children in mind!

A great way to teach the girls mindfulness and focusing on the positive.

Good luck with the new leaders, hopefully the pushy Brownie will benefit from your attention and her new Sixer will be good for her.

[smallhobbit]

Yes, hopefully it will help them a bit.

One of the problems is the pushy Brownie is in a six with a very quiet Sixer, who's going to need a fair amount of support to get her six motivated, so I can see myself spending time with all of that six.

[luthienberen]

I wish you all the best with that group, hopefully with your guidance the quiet Sixer will develop confidence in handling the pushier Brownie, while the pushy Brownie also learns to take things more calmly.

[aome]

I don't think you need a particularly vivid imagination to visualise the problems that could cause

I confess I giggled after reading this line. Because, yes, I sure can imagine it!

Some food colouring here comes in little dropper bottles - do you have anything like that there? It might be more possible for Brownies to add, say, five drops to their jars, rather than measuring a teaspoon of spillable, potent dye. :-P

[smallhobbit]

Those dropper bottles are amazing. If we'd had them the Brownies could have done it themselves. A few extra drops would be fine.

[margaret_r]

Good to see you're back to Brownies and ready for action:)

[smallhobbit]

Thank you :) Funny to think that a year ago I was seriously thinking this could be my last term.

[debriswoman]

Yep, I could see the glue, glitter and colouring, multiplied by number of brownies, being an issue :-p

All the best with projects:-)

[smallhobbit]

Tempting fate comes to mind!