Security.

Well apparently when you are sick for over two weeks you need to go to the doctor… thankfully my dear friend Ms. R. nagged me enough and I finally went… severe bronchitis. I’ve never had bronchitis before, and the ‘severe’ just was the icing on the cake… I was given three medications and told to ‘rest’… not always easy for me. I cued up some movies and was thrilled to see there was a new Peanuts flick I hadn't seen called Happiness is a Warm Blanket.

Now I love me some Snoopy. If I ever was brave enough to get a tattoo it would surely be Snoopy… for the record I’m not a fan of needles so only temporary tattoos for me. As I watched the new movie I came to a stark realization… as much as I love Snoopy, I’m actually more of a Linus. I had a major blanket infatuation as a child and had some major connections to the story.

The basic plot centers on Linus and his beloved blanket. His sister Lucy wants to rid him his dirty habit and enlists the help of the entire gang to try and remove the pale blue blanket from his constant grip. In one of the final scenes, Linus stands in front of his sister and friends and first, admits his insecurities and need for his blanket, and second, makes them all realize they too are insecure and perhaps if they all had a blanket, would be better off.

Children need to feel secure. Part of our job (and the jobs never end…) as teachers is to make our sprouts feel safe. When we hold them accountable to the rules, they understand we’ll keep them in bounds… they feel secure and the love flows. I love how when I get firm with a child, or heaven forbid raise my voice (really, it’s rare) and they turn around with a ‘I love you’ and a hug… they crave boundaries. Sometimes being firm can be a lot like a warm blanket.