These last few days have not been normal. I have spent my morning breaking up political fights.
Not in Washington, not in my community or at a protest, but in my K-5 before and after school program. And that breaks my heart.
The day after the election, my kids were either devastated or elated as they walked through my door, with only a few falling somewhere in between. On one side, this in itself makes me proud. Proud that we are encouraging our kids, no matter the age, to be a part of the political process. But the other side of me, the larger side, is heartbroken that this election has not only divided us, this beautiful country that I love, but our kids as well.
As I thought through my morning and the many similar mornings and afternoons to come, this is what I shared with my staff. It is my hope that we take this opportunity to grow our little learners and instill in them values that they can use in the years to come:
The coming days are going to be interesting days at Adventure Club.
Just as you are all probably wrestling through a variety of emotions as you process the results of the Presidential Election, our kids are as well. We’re asking them to grasp some pretty big ideas with some still growing brains… some concepts that are hard for even us to work through. This morning, I was struck by the amount of students affected in some way by the election, with very few of them coming in without an opinion.
As I’ve thought through how to best handle the coming days, these are the thoughts I am left with. I appreciate in advance your ability to set aside your personal opinions for the good of the group. May we learn these lessons alongside our kids, as we continue to move forward through our year and the years to come.
Our kids are going to have questions. And that’s ok.
Let’s teach them how to ask them respectfully, how to seek solutions to the issues they see as ongoing problems, and how to advocate for what they believe in.
Our kids are going to have fears. And that’s ok. Let’s take this time to reassure them that school is a safe place for them to be the unique individuals that they are. That we will continue to support them as they go through life.
(Some of) our kids are going to be sad or upset. That’s ok. Emotions are always valid and ok to feel. Let’s share with our kids that the Presidential Election was actually one of many elections that took place. That we have a system of checks and balances in our government that doesn’t allow for any one person to have ultimate control.
(Some of) our kids are going to be happy. That’s ok. Let’s teach them to win gracefully, to understand that not everyone has the same views, and that the right to disagree is a good thing – it can challenge and grow us to hear things from a different perspective.
Our kids are going to say things that you disagree with. Let’s show them the value in calm responses, and how it looks to respectfully disagree without trying to change their minds. Let’s engage in forward-thinking conversations as we set the example for what we want their conversations with each other to look like.
Today is going to be an interesting day at Adventure Club. But interesting is not always bad. Feel free to send kids my way if you reach a point where the conversation turns in a way that makes you uncomfortable or is something that you don’t know how to handle. I can’t guarantee that I have all the answers, but I can guarantee that I’ll listen, and that’s sometimes all that a person needs.
Here’s to our Adventure Club community growing closer despite the divisive ideals our kiddos may walk in with.
Here’s to our community respecting and valuing the opinions of others even if they are different than our own. And here’s to us, the adults, remembering that if we don’t have it all together, there’s no way our kids will.
For breakfast, I had coffee with a donut.
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