The first time meeting the children, my group and I were all nervous but excited. The kids were all very friendly and enthusiastic. The idea of having a mascot to be there to teach them about theories about impulse control and stress was a failure. I was the one to be dressed as an unicorn and upon seeing me dressed as a unicorn, the kids burst out in laughter. The children started to get out of control, calling the costume “ugly”. Despite repeated warning given to the kids not to say names, they did not listen. Hence, I had to remove the costume. During the water break, my group and I realised that we did not state any ground rules beforehand and that may be the reason we are unable to control them. We state the rules in a serious tone and the children seemed to realise the seriousness in the atmosphere. After setting the rules, all three sessions went smoothly. The children respond to us and listen to instructions. They did not cause a lot of trouble for the facilitators.
Aside from the kids, I believe my group worked together really well. For instance, the second session was an extremely short session. Once the kids arrived at the activity location, my group immediately started a discussion on what activity to do first. The decision was made quickly, and we were able to carry out the activity and ran them smoothly. One thing we have learnt from this whole facilitation is that it is important to set rules before embarking on any project as rules help guide and keep us on the right track.
