Play-Learn-Grow-Repeat

From Friday Mom – Erin:
Rory has become quite the story teller.  This morning at breakfast, he told me a very elaborate story about finding a “very scary snake, with big, big teeth” on the playground at daycare.  According to Rory, he and his friend discovered two different snakes, both of which just so happened to have the same names as Rory and his friend.  They slithered all around the playground, and the kids had to run away so that the snakes did not bite them.

In another recent tale, Rory proclaimed that he had seen a purple fire truck driving on his way to school. He explained that the firemen put water from the purple truck on the fire with big, big hoses.

Listening to these tales is very amusing to me, but I am trying to remain an adept listener and avoid over-correcting or otherwise interfering with his creative impulses.  Rather than, “I don’t think there were snakes at school, Rory,” I try to be sure to chime in with new prompts, such as “where did they slither to next?” or “what color was the snake?” It’s a basic reaction, but I do find myself having to purposefully engage and encourage on occasion, as opposed to just giggling.  Encouraging his learning and fostering his creativity are critical motivations for me.  While I may not have time to engage in purposeful lessons with him each day, I know listening to and helping tell stories is a great way to do exactly that.

From Wednesday Mom – Janelle:
I had lunch plans with my friend this week. We tried to get together last month but our busy schedules conflicted. We finally found a time that worked, and I was really looking forward to getting together. She invited me to her new home for lunch, and I was excited to see catch up and see her newly decorated home.

At the beginning of the week the weather forecast mentioned the chance of unseasonably warm temperatures and of severe storms. I didn’t think much of it because we always have thunderstorms. Apparently, I should have paid more attention, because the forecast called for severe storms and tornados on the day of our lunch date.

This morning I noticed weather conditions worsening. By mid day, I received a call from the school that they were dismissing early for the approaching storms. It was very chaotic. The kids were excited to get out of school early, but teachers and parents were doing their best to get the distracted kids home safely. We usually take bad weather in stride, but tornadoes are nothing to take lightly.

So after weeks of planning on quality time with a good friend, I found myself collecting flashlights, important documents, and my kids into our tornado “safe place” as the tornado warning sirens were blaring. Obviously, I cancelled my plans. I sat in my laundry room with two young boys wearing bike helmets. It sounds ridiculous, but keeping my family safe comes first.

Sadly, a tornado did strike a town 10 miles from us. It caused a lot of damage and heartache. A church was destroyed, the high school and several neighborhoods were damaged, trees down all over, and power outages for thousands of people. Thankfully, no injuries were reported.

This is just another example of life’s interruptions. Even though our plans are firm, life throws us a curve ball. I was really looking forward to spending time with a good friend, but I know I can easily reschedule. Days like today put things into perspective. I’m very lucky the tornado didn’t hit our home and nobody was hurt. I’ll take that over lunch any day.

From Monday Mom – Neetika:
There was a bit of controversy recently at Haley’s school. While waiting in the pickup line, a mom said to me, “Have you see this?” She was holding a flyer that indicated that all of the kids in the school needed to get flu shots. She was very concerned. I sympathized with her, as I do think parents deserve some autonomy in making health decisions for their children. On the other hand, I want my kids to get every medically recommended vaccine as soon as possible. In my opinion, vaccines are a marvel of modern medicine, and I am extremely grateful for them. It is a truly sad state of affairs that some parents eschew them due to a perceived risk that doesn’t exist.

A few days later, Haley told me the child of that mom was not in school anymore. Her exact words were, “his mom wanted to keep him at home.” I thought that was a really strange way to put it (though she is four!). I wondered if it was the issue of the flu shot that made her pull him out, and eventually I found out it was. But as it turned out, the school district really didn’t pursue the proper channels when they put the flu shot requirement in effect. The boy ended up back in Haley’s class and I was so glad. He is a really sweet kid.

Every family has to do their own research and make their own decisions when it comes to immunizations. Though they are generally required in public schools, some people choose to homeschool for this very reason, or pursue private or co-op education options. Personally, I think the flu shot is one situation where it is probably better for the parent to decide. As for most others, well, they call them “life saving vaccinations” for a reason.