A Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich: Recognizing the Reasons

Like the other weeks that I’ve lived so far, this week has been filled with challenges and triumphs.  Good moments have been great and bad moments have been relatively strenuous.  One of the toughest things about being a parent and an educator is that I occasionally have to see children I care about hurting.  Equally, if not more tough is that sometimes I feel relatively helpless against that hurt.  The good news is that when I’m patient and thoughtful, and when I stay focused on my core values and connected mission to care for the children I serve, I can usually help in some way.

This week I worked with multiple students who were facing trials that looked one way initially, but unfolded in alternate ways.  This week I worked with students who’s stomachaches turned out to be homesickness.  This week I worked with students who’s distracting behaviors turned out to be manifestations of stress over social struggles.  This week I worked with students who’s disrespectful communication turned out to be the result of legitimate ongoing frustrations and difficulties with processing them.

When I took the time to listen and learn this week I watched incredible children engage in development and growth.  Every time I worked patiently with children as they pushed through difficult moments of confusion into triumphant moments of discovery, I say authentic and positive progress.

Today my wife told me that our five-year-old was having a really rough go of it after school.  We were on the phone and I could hear him in the background.  It was one of those phone calls that had to end early so that she could address the situation.  She called me back not long after we cut the first call short.  She wanted me to know that a hypothesis we came up with recently seemed to hold true.  The kid get’s cranky when he’s hungry or tired (that’s from me).  She told me that she gave him a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  She told me that after he ate it he was smiling and happy.

I can’t expect to know what to do in every situation.  I understand that there will continue to be times when I see children I care about hurting and feel helpless.  However, I also know that with some thoughtfulness it is possible to get to the bottom of things in ways that help those children process, cope, and become the independent people we’re working on helping them become.  When we concentrate on recognizing the reasons, we build the capacity to overcome any challenges.

Live. Learn. Lead.

Dream Big. Work Hard. Be Well.