What I Learned From a Kindergarten Teacher

My daughter had probably one of the best kindergarten teachers in the history of education.  She took a room full of little children from a variety of backgrounds and turned them into a sharp bunch of students.  At the end of the year, all of the students made the principal a book.  The other kindergarten classes had papers with writing that went everywhere and made little sense.  Mrs. S had students whose work was just beautiful.  The sentences looked like they had been written by much older children.  Even the drawings were neat.

Mrs. S didn't stop with academics.  Her students were the best behaved and neatest students in the school.  She demanded they wipe their feet before entering her room.  She constantly washed their hands with Purell and expected them to behave.  In fact, she had a reputation for being one of the strictest teachers in the school.

"Make It So"

I have to admit, I secretly enjoy a good Star Trek episode from time to time.  Not so much that I own a pair of Vulcan ears, but enough to have a few favorite episodes and catch phrases.  On one of the newer versions of the franchise, the captain would say, "Make it so", when told of how something should be done to solve a problem.

I think one of the hardest parts of parenting is knowing when to be an advocate for your child and when to step back.  Everyone secretly fears become a "pageant" or "backstage" Mom. We have had some experiences recently that helped me realize at least one time where I think you need to jump in and intervene.

Help, I'm Overwhelmed!

Let's be honest. If you have been a parent for more than a day, you know there are some days you can't even think about dedicating your child's life to God. Frankly, you just feel you have accomplished something major when you put him to bed in one piece at the end of the day (and some days even that is in question!).

I used to feel guilty after having a string of days when everyone was sick, everything broke down and everyone wanted my help with something. It seemed like everything was sliding - housework, nutrition and let's not even talk about manners, rules and teaching about God.