Awana Cubbies - am I wrong, or is this this weird?

[snickerplum]

We've somewhat recently moved and our children are attending a local Awana club. We're big Awana fans and my husband and I have helped in several positions, so we're quite familiar with the ins and outs.

The Cubbies group is making some changes (again, just at our local club). There were so many children that they've made two different groups - younger and older, no big deal. But they're wanting to make the older group too much like Sparks.

1. They're wanting to eliminate bathroom breaks (*please take your child before coming to class*), which I know takes time out of class, but really? 10+ 4 year olds (per group) and no potty time?

2.Also, no more snack. They're class time is *too full* to have a snack. Will the children survive? Yes, but even the Cubbie teacher book plans for snack time.

3. They are awarding points for things, allowing the children to get Awana bucks for the store. The store is supposed to be for Sparks and T&T. Is it bad that the Cubbies get to go? No, but if you memorize the long version of the verse you get almost double the points and bucks. It's just adding pressure to a club that is supposed to be stress free.

4. They're also being really strict with the "two helps" rule. I don't think they should get their verse signed off just because they show up, but they're 4. My son came home sad because he "didn't get his patch like the others." He had worked hard on his verse that week, but apparently kept saying Jesus or something instead of Christ. So, sorry - only get two helps.

It just seems like they're sucking the fun out of many aspects of Cubbies.

I was in charge of Cubbies last year at our church before we moved. I just don't want to be the new lady causing trouble. I want to know what other moms think of the changes (they're new this year), but I don't want to be gossipy or stir up trouble.

Am I wrong? Maybe that's how others do it and it's just new to me. But I doubt it. Nothing of this sort was mentioned at our Awana training.

What would you do?

[vonfirmath]

My daughter is in 4-yr old Cubbies. They have no regular bathroom or snack time. (The club is only an hour and a half! 6p-7:30) But there is a bathroom in the class if someone NEEDS to go.  We do not generally have bathroom or snack at this age group in the 4 yo Sunday School class either.

 

Our Sparks and T&T do NOT have AWANA store, but they still have store in the Cubbies group. 

 

However, if a kid is willing to try, they WILL work with every child to get their verse said. So that is different from our group.  I'd talk to them about this.

 

 

[UCF612]

I can understand making the bathroom a need only thing. Snack always seemed unnecessary to me and as a food allergy parent I love when snack is NOT a part of things! The other things around bother me. When I taught Cubbies the kids were allowed at the store, they each got 1 stuffed beanie baby. Verses got as much help as necessary even if that many walking them through it word by word.

[snickerplum]

Our club runs from 5:45 till 7:30.

Well, and something that makes me a little sad is that we have several non-English speaking children (a few that speak a tiny bit of English). Our church runs some ESL something-or-other during the Awana time and we get several children because of it. I wonder if they get more help. It would be so hard to memorize a Bible verse in a language you don't speak fluently. I don't know because I'm helping in a different room, but I would hope so.

[HomeAgain]

Eh, I'm not a fan of the amount of snacks many kids get.  Snack after sports, during playgroup, during story hour at the library...we've become a society that eats all.the.time. and doesn't do meals well.  The no-snack thing wouldn't bother me.

I don't see a problem with most of the changes, depending on the length of the club for bathroom break.  But if it's not something you're comfortable with, maybe sitting out a year would be better?

[Tsuga]

I agree with most of those rules. Of course kids must have access to a bathroom. But potty break and snack break for a club meeting? That seems like a lot. And right after dinner, too. Two helps is also a lot for a badge. I think it all sounds reasonable for a children's social club. Not everyone needs a badge.

[rocassie]

While I don't think snack-time and bathroom breaks being eliminated are a big deal, I would find it upsetting that the group is not being treated like Cubbies when in fact they are.  Splitting the group up sounds like a good idea and things could be a little different (such as no-snack), but I would think that the criteria/expectations be the same.  I'm assuming that the group is being broken because it's too large.

[snickerplum]

Yes, the group was too big for one room. It was chaotic and splitting the group has helped a lot.

I'm not an everyone-gets-a-ribbon-for-trying mom. In my Sparks and T&T groups I won't sign off sections they do not know (and I have the same expectations for my own children), and each person is in a different place in their book. But Cubbies is supposed to be different, they're all supposed to stay in the same part and go at the same pace, and yes, get the same patches at the same time. It's training and encouragement for when they start Sparks. Some might not think that's best, but that's how it's designed.

[BigMamaBird]

I could live with #2, 3 and 4.  But #1 is just setting everyone up for a really bad time!  When a four year old says they have to go potty, you stop the world and get that kid to the toilet!

[Cinder]

Our Awana club is so laid back with Cubbies that a big change would probably bother me. Here, club is Sunday evening from 5-7. The Cubbies come in and spend about 45 minutes of the first hour with free play. They all pitch in to clean up before they do the offical club stuff. The next hour is spent on club things--song, lesson, visit from Cubbie, handbook time. For handbook time the leader tells them the verse and they have to say it back to her. She will break it down to a few words at a time for kids who are having trouble. The goal there is exposure to the scriptures. Some kids do have the verse memorized but it's not expected that they all will have done so. They also only do one section per week, no working ahead. Those who are behind are caught up during free play time. They do have a small snack at the end. I didn't mind because club is right at dinner time and most days we didn't eat beforehand as church gets out around 12 and we usually don't have lunch until around 1, so we're not hungry before club. But dd would be super hungry by the end and by the time we served dinner it was nearly 8. A few apple slices and a small serving of goldfish--like 10-12 crackers--and some water were enough to hold her over until she could eat supper.

 

Our Cubbies didn't do scheduled bathroom breaks, just as needed. They also never participated in the Awana bucks/store program. That's a privilege reserved for Sparks and TnT. Oh, here Cubbies don't attend the opening assembly either. They're dropped off and picked up directly at their classroom.

 

I would probably at least try out the new program and see how it worked for us. If my kid was too stressed out by it we'd probably just drop out and try again the next year.

[snickerplum]

We can't keep him home (and I don't really want to) because both Dh and I are helpers. And it's not like I want to tar and feather anyone, I just want the children to get what they should from Cubbies - exposure to Scripture and organized fun. :-)

Thank you all for your thoughts.

[Jennifer132]

For cubbies I think they should all memorize the verse together during class. If I remember correctly, my daughter's class said the verse together and then they all got signed off. I do not think cubbies need the Awana store. And I don't think they need a bathroom break as long as they have access to a bathroom if needed, nor a snack since the club is only 1.5 hours and it's right after supper.

[Seasider]

I can understand making the bathroom a need only thing. Snack always seemed unnecessary to me and as a food allergy parent I love when snack is NOT a part of things! The other things around bother me. When I taught Cubbies the kids were allowed at the store, they each got 1 stuffed beanie baby. Verses got as much help as necessary even if that many walking them through it word by word.

 

It's been years since we did AWANA but I have to agree with the above. Snacks are not necessary in a 90 minute time frame. Of course if kids need to go to the bathroom, they should be allowed. There's enough rigor in Sparks, let Cubby years be fun. No kid should leave feeling like it's been a demoralizing experience.

[Daria]

Our club runs from 5:45 till 7:30.

Well, and something that makes me a little sad is that we have several non-English speaking children (a few that speak a tiny bit of English). Our church runs some ESL something-or-other during the Awana time and we get several children because of it. I wonder if they get more help. It would be so hard to memorize a Bible verse in a language you don't speak fluently. I don't know because I'm helping in a different room, but I would hope so.

 

Why can't they memorize the verse in their home language?  If you provide the citation to the parents, they could find it in their bible.  If the parents don't have a bible in their home language, think what a gift it would be to provide one. 

[EmilyGF]

Is there an issue with the bathroom breaks? Maybe the church has a "two-deep" leadership at all time policy and having a leader take a kid out of class would go against it? Sometimes some really good policies have wacky results. I could see fewer helpers in each class if they are splitting the class also causing a problem with potty breaks. 

 

Besides the no-helps policy, though, it makes sense to me. 

It bothers me when parents complain about how their kid needs snack all the time. Um, no. They just ate dinner. When I went to Germany, the Germans asked me why Americans were always drinking out of water bottles. Because they just can't stop consuming. But that's our culture.

 

Emily

[bolt.]

I don't know if it's unusual for Awana, but it's certainly unusual for 4-year-old activities in general.

 

4 year olds need their comfort, emotional fragility, and shorter attention span respected in developmentally appropriate ways. Taken together the changes indicate an unawareness of preschool child development.

 

1. Yes, take kids before class. It's good practice, and it prevents some of the issues around volunteers needing to help small kids in intimate ways -- but it won't prevent all needs for washroom visits. There needs to be allowances made.

 

2. The snack is not necessary for nutrition. It's more about breaking up the lesson (attention span) and feeling homey (comfort). That's why it's in the lesson plan. (It's probably also about cases where the Awana program does meet nutritional needs in poor areas, as an outreach.)

 

If it's going to be eliminated it should be replaced with something else that meets the need to offer comfort and break up the need for focused attention: such as a 'hokey pokey break'. Focused attention is not an unlimited resource in small children. It must be refreshed though undemanding breaks. If it is refreshed it lasts longer than if you try to sustain it.

 

3. They won't understand the points. They will be pleased at the sense that they are being rewarded, but they are unlikely to 'get' the relationship between accumulating them and spending them. They are already trying their best: points won't make them try harder, they will just stand as an indicator of whatever they can/can't do. (Which will really only emotionally effect those who perceive it as a somewhat incomprehensible version of not-enough-like-others in the group: an exclusion experience of not measuring up.)

 

4. I don't understand about the 'patch' -- and two helps is enough if a 'good try' is the emotional equivalent of actual accomplishment. (i.e., that kids are good kids and everyone is a happy participator.) If a 'good try' is the emotional equivalent of 'not being good enough to be included' that will be very hard on the fragile, intense and simplified emotions of a 4 year old.

 

So, I get what you mean here. They are imagining that they can ignore the kids natural developmental inadequacies just by expecting more from them. It won't work, and the kids won't understand what's going wrong or how they are supposed to fix it. The adults will just think the kids are uncooperative or over-reacting. It's a very sad plan. Especially for a faith environment.