I had heard the phrase “it takes a village” many times before and after I had children. It was in those first couple of years of raising two kids that I thought it was just an old fashioned saying. However, in the last few years I have come to realize how true this statement is. Too often, as a young mother, I would want to have complete control and not be dependent on other people. I thought that dependence coincided with weakness.
However, now I believe the opposite is true.
In my recent past I have had to depend on a lot of other people to help as my family struggled through the onset of my daughter’s PANDAS. Her teachers were wonderful and understanding. I was reminded of this phrase again this week as my son attended his first camp of the summer. It was the kindness of a camp counselors that made the difference of him wanting to go, wanting to stay, wanting to participate and finishing off strong.
It’s during these times that I’m able to see how much difference can be made when someone else shows care and compassion.
So, why do I bring this up on an educational blog? The reason is simple. I’m not just a parent who needs a village, I can be that other person as a teacher. When a student comes with high anxiety, I can take the extra time to help that student adjust to a new situation. If a family comes to me with an extraneous situation about their child, I can take that extra time to learn what they really need and offer my assistance. Consider it being a good person, contributing to humanity, but as I put more years on my teaching career, I’m realizing that it’s just my way of trying to pay it forward as a parent.
Not only does it take a village to raise my own children, but I’m part of the village that helps to raise others’.
~EMP
