I once was a school principal. And when I say, “once,” I mean for years and years. Hanging out with kids all day, trying to ensure they actually learned something, wasn’t exactly a picnic in the park. So, to all of you trying to homeschool your kids while locked inside, I say, “Hooray and peace to you, my friends!”
I am thinking back to the 1970s when I was teaching my own kids. Back then, in kindergarten classrooms, kids could choose the word that they wanted to learn to read first, and my daughter chose chicken. Even after all these years, when I walk into Albertson’s deli counter and see the display counter with a freshly cooked fryer, I remember how excited she was to learn to read that word. “Chicken, mom, can we get chicken? Pleeez?” I was excited…a word! She could actually read a word! Neither of us really liked chicken that much, but we were over-the-top when that word jumped out at her. You bet I bought some chicken!
Here’s an idea: When you are in the thick of it, when your kids are bored, when you are overwhelmed by their schoolwork, on top of your own work, find a simple thing to celebrate. Maybe one of the little darlings figured out a word problem, maybe they created a work of art, maybe they learned how to spell (and read) chicken! Go bonkers and make it special. After all, we have no problem going ape-nuts when our child or grandchild hits a teed-up ball in T-ball, like they’ve hit the winning home run in the last inning of the World Series, so why not cheer when they accomplish some educational skill as well?
Yea, chicken!
