Looking back at last week I realize that the snow day couldn’t have come at a better time for children. All week I heard from other moms, teachers, and our school nurse that many children were coming down with colds, virus, and other not-so-fun stuff. My five year old came home one day with a mystery rash, poor little guy. I am not a doctor or a health expert but my mom intuition tells me that kids need a break.
Growing up, the message that I got at home was that you stay home from school when you are really sick. My mom meant it! What’s more is that when I stayed home I was still reminded that I could have gone to school because I was just not that sick. Although I may not have had visible symptoms of being ill, inside lots of stress and anxiety built up on me which came out in headaches and stomach aches. The little girl Beth felt a lot of guilt and shame around stopping and not being “productive” all the time. It has taken me a lot of inner work (work that I continue to do) to silence the voice that tells me to keep going, even when I am not at my best.
What I believe today wearing my own mom and educator hat is quite the opposite - for children to be at their best they need rest or just some alone time with us. Children today face lots of pressures to perform in all areas of life - the classroom, the school yard, the gym, and the list goes on. As parents we need to pay attention to the signals that our children give us and help them become more aware of what their bodies and feelings are telling them. My daughter woke up during the night twice this week unable to have a restful night. By Thursday, her words and actions were a clear indicator that she needed a day off and a day alone with me. Over the weekend I noticed a positive shift in her mood and her energy.
I read and hear a lot about parents’ need for self care and rest. We need to model self-care for our children by resting, exercising, and doing what we enjoy but we need to also ensure that they have time for it too. Our children’s schedules are packed with full days at school, activities, parties, and play dates. As beautiful as it all is ensuring that they take the time to slow down and have some quiet time is essential for them to be able to learn to read, write, communicate, run, jump, sing, dance and do all that they dream of! Have a great week!
Beth
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