I just closed my eyes and now it is time to start all over again. The morning shower is about the only time I am going to have today with a little silence. That moment of peace is my chance to brace for the day. The problem is that in my moment of peace I can’t take my mind off of my kids who are struggling. I can’t stop thinking about the things I should have done to make learning a little easier.
I woke this morning to news that Russia and the new Ukraine government are in a political standoff with military options mobilizing. There was also news of another major storm that has temperatures as far south as Austin in the 30s heading east and picking up steam and looking like it will slam the east coast again. Then there was the appalling news of a school in Nigeria where terrorist had killed a schoolyard full of children and burned their bodies in some twisted attention grab in the name of a twisted view of their religion. The news went on and on with the subtlety of a sledgehammer. I watched and read and listened to a litany of events that should make a grown man seek refuge. But one horrible story gave way to another, and the incredible news of the Nigerian tragedy faded from the television screen and a smiling anchorman talking about a rampant pack of Chihuahuas in Arizona segued into a story of absolute silliness. Those dead children were worth a 20 second mention – about the same as a pack of ankle biting dogs.
This morning was bittersweet. My 8th grade son boarded a plane early this morning with most of his fellow 8th graders. They were on their spring break trip to Washington DC. We had to be at the airport at 4:30 this morning which meant getting up at 3:15 and leaving the house by 3:45. Today also happened to be the “Spring Forward” time change for Daylight Saving Time so in actuality it was like getting up at 2:15. We were both a little groggy!
Long days coupled with no homework make for a recipe for fun. Whether swimming in a river or a swimming pool or running through a sprinkler or a fire hydrant being depressurized, summer is magical. And it is really hard to believe but summer is halfway over already!
Before I share this found skill with you let me mark the “Big 5” off the list.
1.It’s not love – I can promise you that Sylvia loves her children. Lots of moms do. And I am guessing that the love most moms have for their kids is unquestionable and absolute. So yes, love is critically important and is absolutely necessary, but it isn’t enough to be a good parent. There are lots of goofballs that unabashedly love their kids yet are lousy parents.
Tell them you love them.
Hug them.
Sit and talk to them. Show real interest in them.
Set them up to succeed. Find something they can do and praise them for it!
Step in and help. Let them see you as being there for them.
Make sure they know that home is safe. Home is shelter. Home is absolute.
MAKE YOUR CHILD FEEL SPECIAL!
The day a baby is born is one of the happiest days of most people’s lives. Months of anticipation and hope coupled with hours of fear and pain culminates in the arrival of a precious baby. This tiny human is a Tabula Rasa, clean slate. In this child rests the future for mom and dad. This child is guiltless and unencumbered with pride or envy or anger. This child is wholly dependent on its parents yet it is a living breathing sentient being. This child represents every opportunity and dream that life offers.
When my oldest daughter was little, she didn’t like it when I watched the news because she thought it was boring. The 24 hour news onslaught was just beginning on cable and internet news was one of those things that people said was coming, but I wasn’t sure how. 18 years ago you would turn on one of the “Big 3” networks and watch the national news and then follow that up with the local news. That is how it was delivered, and that was what every responsible adult did. My daughter hated it because it was boring.
When Dorothy was told to “follow the yellow brick road” it was a very intentional set of instructions. Sure it was also a good excuse for another goofy song sung by the munchkins, but it was told to her in order to get her to the wizard. It was also to keep her safe from the dangers of the woods – “lions & tigers & bears – oh my!” That yellow brick road was there to guide her and get her where she needed to be, and to keep her away from the places she shouldn’t be. The yellow brick road that L. Frank Baum prescribed to Dorothy was his metaphor for Dorothy’s instructions for life. It was her second chance, because before she flew over that rainbow she hadn’t done a very good job of staying on the road prescribed by her Uncle Henry and Auntie Em. Remember before the tornado came Dorothy was stealing away with Toto trying to avoid Mrs. Gulch and her vengeful intent on Toto.
When does learning become drudgery rather than a joy? We often ask the when question but I think the one we should be asking is the why question. Why does learning lose its luster? If truth be told, learning never truly has to lose its luster.
I was reading the headlines on the front page of my web browser and they were alternating between tragedy, calamity and sadness to just plain goofiness. The scrolling headlines covered the gamut from the downed plane in the Ukraine to the fires in Washington to the death of James Garner (one of the all time greats) to pets that live better than most people. Usually the headlines are either the ones that make you cringe because it is a reminder of how unstable this world truly is, or they make you cringe because you realize how unstable so many people in the world truly are.