Kids For Peace!!

A parent organized a kids' peace group to mark the International Day of Peace. The kids met a couple of times to read stories about peace and make posters and banners. We then met on the "peace day" to march from the war memorial to the City Hall. Once at the town hall the kids made decorations to hang from a fence and listened to a story. We also observed a minute of silence. Sebastian really seemed to enjoy this day. This boy loves guns - playing with guns, talking about guns, making gun noises. He also talks about war a lot and has said that he wants to learn about war this year. I try to take all of this in stride and look at it as a learning opportunity. I try to fit in gentle reminders about what machine guns are used for in the real world (ie, not hunting deer or target practise), and remind him that there are real people involved in real wars. I do this and hope that it is sinking in, while continuing to let him explore the kind of play that really appeals to him right now. I felt very reassured that things are sinking in for him when I saw this picture that he drew:He told me that the flower means peace. And he also shared that he really likes x'ing and circling things :)

This all happened in September, it is now October and the kids still march around chanting "Kids for Peace" on a very frequent basis (ok, Ayla chants "Kids on Peace" but still).