A Daily Reminder from a Blow Dryer

Every morning while doing my hair before work my eyes settle on a tag on my blow dryer. It says “Warn children of the risk of death by electric shock.” And every morning this causes me to consider the enormity of the responsibility parents have in raising children. My next thought is always about the role teachers and child care providers play in helping children grow and develop. It’s about remembering to warn children of risks like a blow dryer in a bathtub and it’s about teaching skills like sharing with your friends. The big goal, of course, is to help children become happy, confident adults that contribute to our society by sharing their unique gifts and talents. It’s an every day, every minute endeavor. I think it can be easy to forget the end goal when we are trying to get through the day-to-day challenges. Two children struggling over the same toy can be very annoying to us as adults, if we have forgotten that our role is to teach these two children the skills necessary to share. Remembering that behaviors are opportunities to encourage skill-building in children can be a helpful way to maintain our composure.  Let’s consider all the tools and skills that are necessary for you to get through your own adult day. Here are just a few:

·      Dealing with disappointment

·      Listening while others speak

·      Being empathetic

·      Compromising with our spouse, partner or colleagues

·      Setting aside our own interests for the greater good

·      Being patient while waiting in lines

·      Cooperation in the workplace

·      Effectively communicating your needs

This is a list of skills I used before 9:00am today! And, at the risk of repeating the classic All I Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, these are all skills we help children learn in our child care and youth recreation programs. They need us to show them the way. They need us to lead by example, and also to be very understanding when they haven’t yet mastered a skill. There is so much to teach these small beings. It’s a big and important responsibility. I try to remind myself of this every morning as I prepare for work.

Inclusion is…teaching skills  

Making Space

We all need to take a breather every now and then. To refresh, revitalize and remember why we work so hard doing the things we do. This month I went and sat and looked at this lake for awhile and renewed my spirit and my dedication to my life's work. I share that with you as a reminder, and hopefully an encouragement, that we all need to make space in our life for reflection. Sometimes it feels impossible, but stepping out of our every day routine to be still is critical to keeping our own battery charged. When we are running on empty we can't give ourselves to others.

In August KIT delivered a webinar on techniques for relaxation for people who work in child care or recreation. It's still available here- titled Breathe & Relax: Self-Care Strategies.  I encourage you to check it out and make a plan to take good care of yourself. You are so important!

Inclusion is...remembering that we are part of the equation.