Every so often, I hear the sympathetic words from another parent, “I don’t know how you maintain a full-time job with three young kids.” I will be the first to admit, it’s no easy task. There are many days when guilt creeps in as I leave in the still of the morning before they are awake, and return long after they are tucked in and on their third dream. I am fortunate to have my mom with me now, and her support is invaluable. Simply put, I wouldn’t be able to give Durham 120% if she wasn’t around.
There are moments when I am jolted to remember that I need to do what I tell every other parent to do – create some sacred, uninterrupted time with the kids. This evening I saw how truly elated our students were to spend time with their parents and friends at our Taco Cabana night out. When I arrived at home, I saw the same sparkle in my boys’ eyes. Although I was exhausted from yet another long work-day, I had to have one of our after-school chats. What routines have you established with your children to gain insight into their day?
“What’s in your backpack?” Greet your child with this question, and you’ll discover a lot about what he/she does in class. You can also:
· Set aside time each day to go through their papers. If possible, try to do it immediately after school while it is still fresh in their minds.
· Look over work together. Help them feel proud by making a specific comment about something they’ve done. For instance, if they show you a picture drawn in art class, you might say, “The gray sky and big waves look just like our rainy day at the beach.”
· Have them talk through math problems or science experiments to show what they learned. They might explain how they found the perimeter of a triangle or why ants dig tunnels.
Children want nothing more than the gift of time, and that doesn’t cost a dime.
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