I want to hold your hand

My daughter just reminded me of a story from when she was in the fourth grade in public school in 1999.  That was a time when school budgets always had money for two class trips per year, per grade.  It was up to the teacher to decide what educational field trip they would take their class on.  It was a time when our tax dollars actually went to the betterment of the community by providing educational services that went toward education instead of toward building sports stadiums.  I am not bucking sports, just saying that educating our children's mind used to be more important than having a multi-million dollar football stadium.   Budget cuts never included cutting field trips.  2 years later we began homeschooling our children and taking them on field trips that knocked their socks off.  However, now I digress.   Chaperoning educational field trips was one of my great pleasures.  Not to brag, but I was just so good at it!  Teachers and other chaperons would marvel at how well behaved my group of students always were.  In fact, I used to be assigned the worst boys in the class.  Often, parents asked me how I managed!  I'd just smile, soaking up the attention.  So, 12 years later, here is my secret.  Before leaving the school building I would take the boys aside and say, "Boys, in my group there are no rules!  You are old enough to know how to behave.  If you do not act your age, that's fine with me, but, you will have to hold my hand for the rest of the day!  If you act like a child, I will treat you like a child."  All I had to do was wave my hand or hum "I want to hold your hand" and these little monsters stood up straight, opened doors for me, offered me their lunch, tucked in their shirts and generally behaved liked princes.  They treated my daughter like a princess and won me jealous glares from ragged chaperones and approving nods from school and museum staff.  It worked like a charm : )