01 What was Left Behind | Sarah

We forgot we were raising good humans. 

Tears fell from her eyes as an empathetic ear listened to her frustrations of worksheets and to do lists. Empathy translated her fears of doing it wrong into empowerment to do what makes sense.

We are tasked to provide the curriculum of life, not knowing, till now, the connections to the pedagogy our children face regularly. 

As parents, we teach family history through food and stories, life skills through making dinner, reading recipes, discussing world events, and understanding pandemics. We teach math through measuring, making and dancing. Science is discovered through baking, cleaning, and stargazing. Creative Thinking and survival of heart and mind is built through paint on hands, snowball fights, and dancing in the yard. Reading and comprehension comes through the pages of crusty cookbooks, protest signs, and local editorials. We live social studies through our family dynamic. Work ethic through a parent’s night shift, followed by a day of distance learning. History through a mother’s eyes, or a father’s skin. 

We were children once. We have forgotten what we’ve learned from our parents, good and bad, love and abuse, work and leisure, fight or flight. We have been pushed into believing we are unable to provide the intellectual support for our children... and the emotional support for this time.  Worksheets and videos do not provide what is needed to guide our children through a revolution. We are the guides.

And when it goes back to a normal that may serve some but not all, we will have discovered an appreciation for learning, as we learned something valuable. What was left behind was Empathy, a special need that we forget so easily.