3 minute read
FROM THE EDITOR: Our Kindness
In just a few days thousands of Broomfield area children will head back to school. Last year I wrote about our teachers. But this year I am thinking about all of those kids. For many, the start of the new school year is filled with anticipation, excitement, and eagerness!
If you have a child going back to school, you have likely shopped for the perfect back to school outfit, acquired the new backpack and all of the needed school supplies, and in just a few days it will be time to reconnect with friends and check the class lists. The thing is, not all kids come from families that can afford new outfits and fancy backpacks, and some kids have anxiety about school and social situations. For other kids, school can be an uncomfortable, scary, or even hostile place.
I am thinking of this as the wife to one teacher and the mother to another, and recalling the stories that they sometimes bring home about how hurtful kids can be to each other. I am thinking of this as a mother who successfully reared two kids and helped guide them through their school-age years and successfully to adulthood (albeit with a few bumps). And I am thinking of this as a brand new grandmother imagining the future for a most precious little boy.
As you prepare your child for the first day of school, what they are going to wear, or their new haircut, or what is in their backpack or even what is in their lunch bag is not the most important thing. Make sure that your child packs the positive attributes and traits needed to create a great school experience for all kids - and for their teachers too. Make sure they bring their respect, empathy, thoughtfulness, compassion, courage, and integrity with them. Talk with them about being friendly and inclusive. Talk with them about not following the crowd. Talk with them about how they might feel on the outside and encourage them to bring someone else in. And discuss ideas about how to do that.
I cannot imagine the pressure of the digital microscope that today’s kids live under - where so much is for show and for processing in 5 seconds or less. In our truly “connected” world, creating true connections is harder than ever and can create extreme isolation and loneliness for many - especially our kids.
So talk with yours. Make sure when you send them off for the first day of school they have packed the most important thing they can bring – their kindness.
Until next month,
