Generation COVID
Don’t you miss the days when the most common question you were hearing was “what kind of milk in that latte” or “what time do the kids have to be picked up from camp?”. The days we are in will forever be remembered and not just in our minds but in our culture. It is hard to imagine how things will ever be as they were before March 2020 and yet it is easy to grasp the concept that one day we will look back and this will just be the “COVID times” that we lived through and are looking back on. Our children know how to learn naturally, remember that and tell yourself that every morning when you wake up. Our children are incredible and their minds are incredible and they have curiosity and want to learn and be challenged. The lessons they are learning right now are not conventional and they will not be testable in the SAT’s but they are lessons and our children are learning about life and about family. It is hard to be at home with children all day long, we all know that and we all knew that before we were in quarantine. Our children will adapt, they know how to adapt because it is all they have ever known. They didn’t come into this world doing anything other than eating and sleeping (and some babies even need lessons on those tasks). As toddlers, kids and teens our children are doing an incredible amount and it is because they have the innate ability to adapt. Right now for many of us the question about “what is happening next year” is playing in a loop on our minds and for valid reasons. It is my experience that not knowing something is far worse than knowing, even if knowing means accepting a truth we do not understand or agree with. So I am here to give you an answer and that answer is that our children are going to be in school as much as they possibly can be. Our school systems are working tirelessly to design a system that works to keep our children and families safe, the educators safe and the community safe. Those of us in public schools know that the reality of public education often results in lower funding and less flexibility within the structure. Those of us in private schools know that we are paying a college tuition each year but our children are able to receive more flexibility and more time by their educators. It can be very frustrating when a friend talks about their child being at school Monday-Friday come fall and your school does not have that same plan in place. I want to remind everyone of a few things:
Stay safe, stay healthy and stay sane!
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Early Education is a BIG Choice
Preschools are becoming more prevalent in the United States because mothers and fathers are no longer staying at home with their children until kindergarten. Some families make this decision based off the need to work. Others make the decision based on brain research and the benefits that are linked to early exposure to preschool environments. Regardless of the reason parents are looking at preschools in their areas and trying to find the best place for their child. A family may visit and tour a handful of preschools without ever calling into question the philosophical attributes of the school. These schools at first glance may all look and feel very similar which makes choosing one over the other difficult and confusing at times. It prevents a logical decision about the philosophical needs of the individual family from being made and evokes a decision drawn primarily from emotion. Normally there is a very organized individual assisting in the tour, pointing out the positive attributes and phenomenal things that the school has to offer. The good news is that these positive attributes and phenomenal things do usually exist in the spaces being shown. The bad news is that often times the day-to-day execution is falling short of its own potential. Without knowing the underbelly of the early education industry it is almost impossible for anyone to decipher what is missing from their touring experience. I have a graduate degree in Human Development and Child Psychology with a focus on Early Childhood Education and received my teaching certification. As the daughter of a preschool teacher, I grew up with exposure to the inner workings of young academia. What this makes me is opinionated, frustrated and concerned. I am informed and experienced and I want to help you. |
AuthorI am a mother, not a wizard. I share what is hard, what is scary and what is real. The rest I leave to you. Archives
June 2022
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