Don't Screw it Up!
My three-year-old started preschool this Spring. It is a small, Montessori school for children ages 3-6. The teachers are husband and wife and have been teaching together for 45 years. There are only about 15 students and my son only goes on Wednesday and Thursday mornings. One of the teachers loves to leave articles and literature for parents on a regular basis. The material is usually about parenting, education or child-development. However, their approach to education is very counter-culture. They think (and I completely agree) that our education system is failing. They think the idea of the Common Core Curriculum is terrible and wrong. They think the best educators for children are the parents. If I believed in fate, I would say that's how I found this little school. It is so refreshing to know that there are other people who think like I do. Isn't that what we're all trying to find? Don't get me wrong, I like talking about different opinions and ideas. I enjoy diversity. However, when it comes down to fundamental values, I want to find like-minded individuals. I want to know there are other people raising their children similarly to the way I'm raising mine. I want to believe that there is hope for our society's future.
Again, I digress. The title of this post, 'Don't Screw it Up!' is a direct quote from one of the teacher's suggested reading materials. You see, he makes copies of articles and then writes little notes in the margins to the parents. The one I'm referencing said, 'Parenting is your most important job. Don't screw it up.'
I laughed when I read it. It was so direct. It used the word 'screw'. Then I almost got offended. I thought, 'Who is he to tell me about parenting? I'm a good mother! I'm not screwing anything up!' Then I calmed down and thought, 'Wait, he's not telling me that I have already screwed up. He's reminding me that my job is very important. That it's the most important thing I can do. He's telling me to take it seriously. He's right.' It was then that I knew I'd found some like-minded individuals in my son's teachers. The teacher who wrote that statement even took me aside one day to explain his teaching strategies and why they do things the way they do. He explained that he thinks government has no place in our schools and that parents are capable of educating their children. However, he made a big point of saying that parenting skills are not instinctive. We aren't born knowing how to raise productive, self-sufficient members of society. We have to learn. We have to give it a lot of thought. We have to read, observe and PAY ATTENTION. I couldn't agree more. I am so grateful to this little school. These teachers have given me so much validation and reinforcement. My son is thriving, even more than he was before. I feel my faith in humanity and our future being restored every time I walk out of that little school.
Again, I digress. The title of this post, 'Don't Screw it Up!' is a direct quote from one of the teacher's suggested reading materials. You see, he makes copies of articles and then writes little notes in the margins to the parents. The one I'm referencing said, 'Parenting is your most important job. Don't screw it up.'
I laughed when I read it. It was so direct. It used the word 'screw'. Then I almost got offended. I thought, 'Who is he to tell me about parenting? I'm a good mother! I'm not screwing anything up!' Then I calmed down and thought, 'Wait, he's not telling me that I have already screwed up. He's reminding me that my job is very important. That it's the most important thing I can do. He's telling me to take it seriously. He's right.' It was then that I knew I'd found some like-minded individuals in my son's teachers. The teacher who wrote that statement even took me aside one day to explain his teaching strategies and why they do things the way they do. He explained that he thinks government has no place in our schools and that parents are capable of educating their children. However, he made a big point of saying that parenting skills are not instinctive. We aren't born knowing how to raise productive, self-sufficient members of society. We have to learn. We have to give it a lot of thought. We have to read, observe and PAY ATTENTION. I couldn't agree more. I am so grateful to this little school. These teachers have given me so much validation and reinforcement. My son is thriving, even more than he was before. I feel my faith in humanity and our future being restored every time I walk out of that little school.
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