PL 3.07Excusing Oneself

1. 1

   Gather a small group. Ask two partners to stand facing each other, talking, in a narrow space between shelves.

2. 2

   Say: 'I need to get to the shelf behind them. Watch what I do.'

3. 3

   Walk up, stop, and say: 'Excuse me, please.' Wait until the partners step apart.

4. 4

   Walk through, then say: 'Thank you.'

5. 5

   Show leaving a group: sit in a circle with the partners, then stand and say: 'Excuse me, I need to get a drink.' Walk out behind the circle, not across it.

6. 6

   Ask the children what you said and where you waited.

7. 7

   Invite children to take turns passing through and leaving the circle.

What catches the child’s eye

• The partners stepping apart to make a gap
• Walking behind the circle instead of across it

Extensions, easiest to hardest

1. Excuse oneself when stepping around a mat in a crowded space
2. Ask to be excused from the table (see Table Manners)
3. Say "Excuse me" after a burp or a cough