Every Picture Tells a Story (Just Not the Whole Story)

Elia Rocha -

When children leave our Play House programs we’ll often make a goodbye album filled with photographs of them and their time with us.  For many of our families, these photographs may be the only visual record of a difficult time in their lives.  Looking at the pictures, though, you’d mostly see smiling faces; active children intent on the thing they’re doing.

For instance, there’s the one I can’t help but think of as Cowboy Karaoke.  He’s about 4, standing on a milk crate in the sandbox wearing a bedazzled Stetson, a tie-dyed shirt, and wrap-around sunglasses.  He’s holding what appears to be an over-sized plastic wrench, which is serving double duty as a microphone.  The teachers tell me he loved to put on a show.  

Firefighter Superheroes!

One of my favorite pictures (let’s call it Firefighter Superheroes) is of a group of preschool boys engaged in an epic drama.  They've tied men’s dress shirts around their necks like capes, one of them is wearing a red helmet, and they’re all mounted atop a climbing structure, putting out a fire with their butcher paper fire hoses.

I love these photographs because they show engaged and dynamic children exploring their world and using their imagination.  Of course, they’re not the whole story.  They merely capture a moment in time, maybe right before or right after a less than happy moment.  Nonetheless, these photographs are reassuring to parents and teachers alike because they show the resilience and capacity for joy that is alive and well in their children.  

A quick note about the use of photos on this blog.  When we do post photos, children’s faces will be obscured to protect their privacy.  On the rare instance when a child’s face is shown, we will have written consent from their parent or guardian.