My friend who is a BHP (Behavioral Help Professional) works for a pre-K program that offers kids with behavioral disorders a fun, safe place to play, endless learning opportunities, a gaggle of similarly mischievous peers, and plenty of workers to punch in the face and verbally abuse.
At the end of the day, the workers usually go home exhausted, bruised and bitten, and feeling downhearted and doubtful about the results of the program.
But, today, on the crest of the new year, my friend Penny witnessed something of a miracle.
She was playing a board game with five year "Austin," who was calm and "making good choices" (daycare lingo). Since this behavior is infrequent, she praised him several times for his good choices, and then added, "You're such a cute kid."
"No," he replied. "I'm bisgusting." (Bs and ds are obviously an issue, as apparently is his self esteem.)
From across the room, two tykes who ordinarily act like little asswipes piped up to offer Austin some support:
"You're handsome like a super hero!"
And the other, "You're a great man!"
--
Wow. Crickets. The workers were stunned.
The program strives to teach these little hooligans about empathy, and amazingly, at least for two of them, it seems they've learned something.
A New Year's gift indeed, but Penny is still going out tonight to drink herself into oblivion. There is still so much to forget.
For example, she came home tonight with a few bruises on her collarbone from a 3 year old who was clearly dissatisfied with the "fucking stink assed snack," as well as irritation from the five year old who spit in her eye because he "hates [her] eyebrows."
She was also called a "fat dick" by a 5 year old who was dropping the toilet seat on his penis over and over again and screaming in pain.
I'm sure a bunch of them shit their pants in retaliation for something, but let's focus on the positive.
Here's to our hard-working punching bags called BHPs.
Happy New Year!
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