Diapers to Diamonds and Beyond

Time. Somedays is seems like forever ago. Then somedays it feels like just yesterday.

Children make my heart come alive, the bursting with joy, cannot hide how happy I am, kind of alive! Join me as I share a few glimpses of life recently, and why this is so.

This summer I have to honor of attending two weddings of children, now young adults, that I cared for when they were little. Do you know how many emotions comes with this? A LOT! I am incredibly proud of who they have grown to be and who they have chosen to continually follow and depend on! I am also very encouraged by the young ladies they have chosen to marry and create a life with. I can remember watching these kids play and praying for God’s Will for their lives. There is nothing that can touch the awe and wonder of watching this unfold right in front of me! And also to see the other children, who are also young adults now, gather around them and be by their side just as they were when they were kids. I long for every kid to have this kind of support.

Let’s talk graduations. High School graduations, college graduations… wowzers! There were a ton of children I kept that graduated. So many I’ve lost count! 😂 At my high school graduation my mom gave this wisdom, “It’s not about where you are going, it’s about Who you follow.” This is so true and I believe a very significant message that we need to be sending to our high schoolers. Not everybody is meant to go to college, not all paths lead to college, and frankly, not all jobs or careers need a college certificate. So it’s a brave and courageous statement to step back and ask Who are you following, the world or God? And also ask, am I going to college because it’s “what’s next,” according to everyone else, or is it a step in the right direction of what I would like to do? (Doctor, Lawyer, etc.)

On Monday, I had the privilege of attending closing ceremonies for my niece and nephew at their learning center school. Instead of just being handed end of the year certificates, they were given “certificates of achievement.” Each child was given the assignment of writing down what they felt like they had achieved in each of these areas: Reading, Writing, Math, and a skill they had improved/something they are proud of. Then their teacher chose which one to share with the parents and families at the ceremony. Just a few: reading skills, multiplying fractions, making new friends, surviving middle school, beginning the year hating reading and ending the year loving reading. But one just stabbed my heart, “I no longer feel like a failure.” I sat paralyzed. Because this school is a learning center, a half day program. All students have their “base school,” whether it be public, private, homeschool, virtual, and then they attend this school either in the morning or afternoon. For this child to no longer feel like a failure, he had to attend two schools a day. He had to work twice as hard as his peers at his base school. He came from a base school thinking he was a failure, and began attending two schools and realized he was no where near a failure! He accepted his certificate with the biggest smile and the greatest joy! Forget honor rolls, forget top of the class, forget winning! Children CANNOT be walking around thinking they are failures! And sadly, most are.

I acknowledge not everyone has the passion for children that I do. I acknowledge I don’t have the passion for honor rolls and worldly achievement that others have. (it would be hard to have both) Out of my passion for children comes my advocacy. Out of my experiences comes my advocacy. And today I choose to advocate and educate about children’s basic needs:

• Nurture: to care for and encourage the growth and development. Know your child.
• Protection and Safety: protect from danger, risk, or injury (physical, emotional, mental); educate how to protect; educate what is danger, risk, and injury. Be Aware of the world, your state, your city, and the topics that your children are confronted with daily.
• Regulation: Balance. Model and teach how to self-regulate. Learn what works for your child.
• Experiences: practice, training, observing. Expose them to LIFE. Eat out. Go shopping. Take chances. Make Mistakes (Be Miss Frizzle!)
• Limits: boundaries, a cut off point. Have consequences. Clear and Communicated.
• Structure: patterns. Stick to it!
• Expectations: belief in what is asked will be done. You believe in the best in them, you set them up to believe the best in you.
• Steady – Stable – Supportive Community. Period.
• Protect their Future: Vote. Be Aware of policies. Especially local and state!

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want children even beginning to believe they are anywhere near a failure! And honestly, as a nation we are doing things that are failing them and we need to step it up. There are many ways to do this and I will link some sites below. But I encourage you, every child’s face you encounter, SMILE, it’s that simple. And the children that you have been entrusted with, place your hand under their chin and tip it up towards the sky, and let them know that the God who made the skies, sun, and the moon, loves them more than they could ever ask or imagine, and He desires to be their best friend. It’s the most powerful, life-giving, crushing “failure” thoughts you can give them.

Life Book of the Week: Don’t make me count to Three, by Ginger Plowman Hubbard

Another book that I have recommended before, Irreducible Needs of Children, by Brazelton and Greenspan. Tough read, but absolutely worth it!

Picture Today: “Miss Anna’s Silly Geese” A plate with almost all the children I was caring for at the time!

On the following websites you can find up to date laws, votes, who is representing you, how you are being represented, and how to contact these folks. As my wise mother says, “We can’t do everything, but we can do something!”

US Government Website: https://www.usa.gov

Find more information on Local and State Government: https://www.usa.gov/state-local-governments

All US Government Agencies: https://www.usa.gov/agency-index

More information/explanation of Branches of US Government: https://www.usa.gov/branches-of-government

Not sure who your local elected officials are? https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials