I am having one of those days, where I wonder how in the world do they let people become parents without some kind of class, or a series of classes for that matter. I mean you have to have like, at least 6 years of school to be a teacher, 8 to be a psychologist, why not an hour twice a week for parents?? Really, when it comes right down to it, being a parent is the MOST important job we will ever do. Not to discredit teachers, or counselors, or even the President(who in my opinion, could probably use some refresher courses in a few subjects, but that is a whole 'nother blog), but being a parent is really an investment into the future of our world.
My 7 year old sweet, good hearted boy is struggling with something, and he won't talk to me or his Dad about it. How do I pull it out of him? How do I ease his mind, and calm his fears? Haven't I done a good enough job up to this point, that he knows he can come to me with anything?? My heart is heavy and I want to take what ever he is feeling and make it go away or put it upon myself. I wonder if it is school, friends, me?? The not knowing is making me psycho crazy, and I know I can not force him to tell me, but I really really really want too!! I feel his spirit is missing, he is so bogged down with school then homework, I feel he needs some fun, but my suggestions fall on deaf ears.
I have such mixed feelings about school these days. I wonder of the importance of reading and writing, and math over self-confidence, being true to oneself, forming loving and positive relationships, and just plain RESPECT for students and who they are. I feel like children are not allowed to be children anymore. They are expected to sit for hours quietly, when their bodies and minds are not yet developed enough for that. (Sometimes I think I am not developed enough either, ever sit through a 3 hour movie in a movie theater?) Recesses are shorter than 10 years ago, PE is once a week instead of 3 times a week or even everyday. Kids are tested and marked for the rest of their school life based on WASL tests they take starting in the 3rd grade. A STANDARD test for EVERY student even ones in special circumstances, or with special needs!! Really ? When did my kids become standard, do I even want my kids to be considered standard?????? I wonder when schools became so big on testing and so poor on fun? Of course it all comes back to money(doesn't everything), government gives schools with rising test scores more money. How government even gets associated with teaching my children is beyond me.
Why are kids given a standard for which they must know and learn, and why is it the same for every child? What happened to creative teaching, adjusting it as the Teacher sees fit to the individual student. What happened to fun games to learn your Math, or grammar? Schools have become such a pencil to paper, endless worksheet, do not blurt out the answer in class, sit still, DO NOT HAVE ANY FUN, we aren't going to teach you anything that you can touch, or feel or make your lives richer, just sit down shut up and write these sentences over and over kind of environment. I want my child to be an individual, I do not want him to be like everybody else. I want that for all of my children. Aren't our lives so great because we have family, friends, neighbors that are different than us, and enrich our lives with their differences. I feel if a child starts to doubt himself at this very young age, that is something that will stick with him through the rest of his life. If you stomp on a child's spirit again and again, if you don't allow him to be who he is, he loses the one thing we all want for our children, a sense of self, self-confidence to stand up for himself, and love for himself and others. It is much easier to teach a child to read, or write, then to relearn how to love themselves.
That went on a crazy tangent but I feel a little better getting it all out! :) Thanks for listening!
