In one of the final Playmaker University assignments, early childhood professionals are asked to share how they see their Playmaker training impacting their work. Samantha's castle-guarding story warmed our hearts.
TJ is the busiest kid I know. He's always on the go - shuffling his feet, wiggling in his chair, running laps around the playground. He’s never at a loss for words either – he questions most everything and comments on everything else. TJ is two and a half years old.
TJ lives with his mother in a shelter. They’ve been there for a few months. He’s younger and smaller than the other kids who live there but that never stops him from being in the middle of everything.
Life isn’t easy for TJ. He is easily frustrated. He throws things, pushes, screams loudly, knocks stuff over, etc. Being a Playmaker has reminded me that all of these behaviors – as hard to manage as they may be – are just TJ’s way of communicating difficult emotions. My job as a Playmaker is to create a place for him to feel safe and loved as he learns new ways to communicate.
For example, the other day TJ forgot to clean up his snack plate before heading off to play. I walked over to him while he was joyfully building his impossibly tall Maga-Tile tower and said, “hey bud, your snack plate is still on the table.” I noticed his body immediately tense, and his face go from creative bliss to frustrated fury. I loosened up, sat down beside him, stopped preparing for battle and decided to focus on TJ instead of on his snack plate.
“What are you building?”, I asked.
“My castle,” he answered, not looking up. “And I gotta keep going.”
“Of course,” I said. “And I will be your finest knight. I’ll protect your castle while you clean up your snack plate.” I dramatically flexed my non-existent biceps. 
TZ laughed. “Okay. You protect it. No touching!”
“No touching!” I repeated. TJ popped up, grabbed his plate, brushed the crumbs into the trash and put the dish in the bin.
“All done!” He said cheerfully, picking up more Magna-Tiles.
“I stand ready at your service,” I told him, saluting.
Something shifted that day. That moment of playful banter somehow helped us understand each other better. Teaching kids to clean up after themselves is important. But it’s not as important as making sure they know how much you care about them. It is not as important as making sure they know you have their back and that you believe they have the power to build discipline within themselves.
I think educators and caregivers often look for the magic pill. If I just do this one thing the kids will behave the way I want them to. Being a Playmaker has taught me that it is the little things – the barely noticeable micro moments of love and joy - that make all the difference. It’s constant work (that’s why we call it a Playmaker Practice) but well worth the effort.
TJ, I’ll always protect your castle. I promise.