IT'S OK TO WAIT.....SOMETIMES
My son Patrick wants to drive so bad he can taste it! But, he doesn't get his permit until next month - so he has to wait. Does that bother him? Yes. Is it going to hurt him? Absolutely not! It gives him something to look forward to and gives him time to study the situation and learn what is expected of him when he does start to drive.
In my Group Management Workshops I make the point over and over that we never want to make a group of children wait. But that isn't entirely accurate - there are times when we WANT them to wait.
When?
When they want to do something that they aren't developmentally ready for....like waiting to exhibit competitively in the fair or waiting until they are physically, mentally, and socially ready to exhibit animals at the fair. It's not only OK to wait - it is critical to wait until the children are ready for those experiences.
Quite often, we feel pressure from others to let CKs experience things we know they aren't ready for. We want to make sure we are educating those families, fair boards and other stake holders about the CK program.
CKs have to wait because they don't have the basic physical, social, cognitive and emotional skills to adequately deal with the situation....and like my son Patrick and driving - waiting gives them something to look forward to in the future!