It has been a crazy busy week or so back. Lots going on with re-acclimating to life in the US, always harder than going to Honduras, for whatever reason. I am in the throws of planning a Golf/Walk event to raise money for a 2nd training center for the Mi Esperanza project...Boy what a job but I am hopeful/prayerful it will be fruitful to the program and we will be able to expand our reach among the women of Honduras.
I am back at school..I have 12 little darlings this year 9 which are boys!!! It will be a challenging year...Already, just one week in, I have often thought of visiting the Mellow Martini after work at, 2:00 in the afternoon!
I love what I do in the part of my life that is a teacher..I really do, but part of me looks at these little ones and worries greatly over what life expects of them so early. They 4 and 5....4 and 5! and I have to remind myself of that everyday. But in education SO much is expected of students and often beyond what they are capable, but, have no choice but to try to hang on and adjust.
Had a parent come in and say "Now, they will be reading this year?" I wanted to say "and yes we will beginning advanced calculus in two weeks."
There are so many kids that seem to be discipline problems, diagnosed with ADD, ADHD... yada yada and I really think that trend is simply that more is being asked of them than is possible for their little minds and bodies and instead of looking at that fact and in attempt to keep everyone moving we medicate to make them conform. (Now...no hate mail, I know [some] kids need it)
I remember kindergarten...We were learning about using scissors, glue, read lots of books, played a lot, learned how to be a good friend. But now..These little souls are pushed into the same rat race of a world we live...A world of pushing our kids to be the next Tiger, or the next great mind. There is no more just being children because noone wants their child to be left behind..My question is "left behind from what? Would that really be a bad thing....To be left behind from the "material" and "success" driven world we live in?
We are creating little "us". People who are over tired, over committed, over driven and totally unhappy.......
4 comments:
Guess this can relate to the idea of simplicity...Why is it that "it" never seems enough? Funny...
Ken..I love ya!!!!
Wonderful thoughts, Lori! Before I had children, I read the book The Hurried Child by David Elkind that addressed these same ideas. I think that children need time to just be children as God made them. Thanks for sharing!
Marsha
Lori, A deceased friend of mine who was a family counselor and so wise told me once that if he could incorporate anything into the "schooling" of small children, if would be a class on anger management where they could vent their frustration and anger in a constructive way before they reached their teens...where it then seems to be too late! Most likely much of their frustration and anger is centered around just what you are talking about plus broken homes where there is only one parent. God bless you for caring so much about other people's children. Peggy
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