During the storytelling and the discussions that followed, the youngsters
were fascinated: they were sharing their thoughts with someone who
really wrote stories and, equally important, they were talking with an
elder and a grandpa (grandpa-surrogate?) who had come to visit with
them from beyond their everyday routines. I was reminded once more
that grandparents were nearby for relatively few children, the reasons
include circumstances as well as geography. For most, grandparents
were distant, deceased, or unknown.
***
Some time previously, a friend invited me to accompany him to a
children's day care center in his city. He, along with several other elders,
visited the center occasionally to interact with the youngsters.
Conforming to the center's schedule, we arrived about half an hour
before lunch. The children, about 25 three-to-four year olds, were still in
the play yard. With permission from the play yard supervisor, we
circulated from one group to another and participated in their activities
where we could safely do so.
After a while, the attendant assembled the children to return indoors, and
we followed.
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