It has been quite a while now since I have had the chance to blog on Modern Mom. It has been a hectic few months, but with my youngest child making it to 3 years old, I am amazed at the changes that are taking place. I have four children, ranging in age from 3 to 9, 2 boys and 2 girls. I am filled with wonder as I am finally getting the opportunity to take a breath and watch their development and their interaction with one another.
As an educator, I am lucky enough to be able to have my work and my home life running parallel- as I learn in my work, it informs my parenting, and through my parenting I learn and inform my work. I often joke that my kids are my "4 little lab rats." My goal is to stay a few steps ahead of them, though I am sure this will not always be the case.
The other night I went to see "Race to Nowhere." What a fantastic commentary on the education system that we have in place. I believe wholeheartedly in the message: we need to stop pushing our children so hard and give them the opportunities to interact and play–this is how they will learn to problem-solve. I have always said that the greatest gift that someone can give to a child is social language instruction–teaching them how to communicate effectively. As we move away from free play into adult-structured activities, kids lose their ability to solve problems on their own.
I am so pleased that the movie has garnered so much attention; I only hope that people will take the message to heart. And I hope that as my children get older and those college applications loom large, I will be able to find a role that continues to allow them to grow into their own identity and I won’t fall prey to the pressure to join the Race.
