More big kids
I want more big kids in my studio.
Do you know what little kids do when they find a dried-up marker? They throw it back in the tub and grab another one. A big kid will tell me, "This one's dried up." Little kids trade in dull pencils. Big kids sharpen them. Little kids will argue that the brush isn't really dirty and they hardly used it anyway and besides, they already put it back with the others and they can't tell which one it is any more. Meanwhile, big kids learn how to look after their brushes by practicing on mine.
I want more big kids in my studio.
Little kids want to do easy stuff, and get praised for it. Big kids want to practice hard stuff, and get better.
It's not a question of age or size. Some of my "big kids" still sleep with a night light. Some of my "little kids" are licensed to drive. It's about responsibility and initiative and engagement. Big kids try new things. Big kids bounce back. Big kids mop up what they spill, pick up what they drop, and fix what they break.
Big kids don't whine.
So, in my studio, big kids have more opportunities than little kids. They use the Special Brushes because they've proven they can maintain them. They have a wider choice of materials and more open-ended assignments. Big kids get less Adult Supervision and more Constructive Feedback.
I want more big kids in my life.
Big kids replace the roll when the paper runs out. Big kids flush. And when the toilet fails to flush, a big kid tells someone. A little kid closes the door and walks away.
