Home visits are a powerful thing. I know, I know. I have not gone on nearly as much as I want to, especially since we have no child care of our own AND we have no breaks with our super busy after-school lives (see
previous blog post). Home visits are where teachers come into students' homes for a brief glimpse into their world outside our 6 hours of learning (more
here). One of the most interesting insights is when teachers ask families, "What are your hopes and dreams for your child?" Makes me stop and think about my own family.
One day, as we were paying the monthly bills on-line, Jesse sat nearby with a Pokemon card in one hand, a Pokemon toy in the other, and sadly stated, "It must be hard being an adult." Yes, it truly is.
Jason, though, seemed to take the other perspective. At a restaurant recently, he wanted to order from the adult menu. "Sure, go for it." A small but proud grin surfaced. Waiting the 15 minutes to get seated, thoughts of, "Wow, time is flying" and "So when did he become this little man?" flooded. Our table was ready. Jesse, 7, tore open the kids menu, grabbed a crayon, and started working on the activities. Jason, 9, peering over ever so slowly, saw one of his favorites, "Hidden Pictures." He looked at me, searching my face for "approval" to go back to the kids menu. Smile. "Of course, I'll ask for a kids menu."
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| Kids meals from Mikuni |
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| We go to Mikuni a lot. Yum! |
Don't be in such a rush to grow up, kid! Aside from the all the 'fun' of being a grown-up is being accountable for the overwhelming task of raising another human being. We were lucky to have examples growing up of a you-can-do-anything-you-put-your-mind-to attitude. Thoughtful, observant little people are depending on us to show them how to act in this crazy, cruel world.
Our hopes and our dreams are that they will "be the change they want to see in the world," that their journey of happiness involves selfless thoughts, that they slow down and appreciate the good things that life has to offer, that they
reflect on their experiences, that they enjoy and remember their childhood. If we practice with them a
growth mindset, positive outlook, opportunities for trial and error, the power of words, maybe, just maybe, we can bury 'boys will be boys.'
