Breaking Fast

10.06.08

Today we’ve had the bulk of our ‘safe from harm’ training. Our equivalent in the UK to ‘safe and sound’. In the main, it’s just the same as ours, lots and lots of little rules and clauses and things to do and not do, presented in a couple of hours, with an accompanying video. It was as fun as it sounds.


The morning looked up when we had a visit from a local doctor of therapy, who runs a project for kids with severe behavioural difficulties. Along with her associate, she provided an entertaining yet very informative workshop for dealing with children, and showed us some useful exercises for dealing with violent children without using violence in return!

One of the exercises involved one member of staff walking towards another and seeing how close they came before either staff felt uncomfortable within their personal space. The Dr. was amazed at how close our team came towards each other, which we attributed to having done a ’high-ropes’ course the day before which brought many of us far too close together!

I’ve been amazed at the seriousness with which Americans treat their breakfasts. I would say they definitely see it as the most important meal of the day. I’m not usually a breakfast person, but have found myself joining in and having typically some pancakes with syrup, breakfast pizza (mmmm!), biscuits and gravy (ummmm…), fried rice (pretty much what you would have from a Chinese takeaway), cereal, egg bacon and sausage crème freche quiche type thing and any other assortment of wonderful tasty foods!

I don’t think I’ll be coming back with any less than I came unfortunately!