2, 4, 6, 8…What do we appreciate!?!
I was at my son’s little league basketball game yesterday, and I was surrounded by parents who were cheering for their aspiring athletes. When the kids made baskets, threw great passes, or played great defense, parents on both sides were cheering. The same happens at junior high and high school games around the country in all sports. Our kids have no doubt that we are proud of them for what they accomplish during the game. Similarly, when our kids participate in dance recitals, piano recitals, band concerts, talent shows, plays, and various other activities, we applaud them for their efforts. It occurs to me that what we cheer about says a lot about what we as a community value. As a passionate advocate for education, this makes me think about whether we are cheering loudly enough for education. Certainly we brag on our kids if they make the honor roll or get some sort of award, but those things happen only a few times a year – maybe quarterly. How else can we cheer for our kids so they understand how important we believe education is?
What if we took time out of every day to cheer a little for education? What might that look like? Following are some suggestions for ways that we can cheer for our kids.
At least a few times a week we could ask our kids about something they learned during the week, and we could really take time to listen to what they say. Then we could express excitement for what they learned. For instance, when my son learned all the basics of mathematics – multiplication, division, subtraction, and multiplication – I told him I was so excited that he could now help me figure out which items were the best deals at the grocery store. Then we went to the grocery store, and he did just that. I let him know how proud I was that he could help me.
When our children read books, we can take time to ask them what they are reading. We can ask them what they think about the characters, if they know real people who act like the characters in the book, and if there are situations in the book that are similar to things that have happened in their lives. Then we can share with them how proud we are that they are learning lessons that they can apply in their own lives.
We can post their best work on the walls and refrigerators of our homes; we can even professionally frame their work. My walls, cabinets and refrigerator are covered with my son’s best work so that he knows how proud I am of his accomplishments.
When we interact with our children, we can ask them, “Did you ask good questions today?”
When they improve homework, quiz, or test scores, we can make a big deal about their progress.
We can treat our kids to a special meal to celebrate the start of school and all that they will learn.
When they do something well at school, we can say that a particularly inspiring historical character would be so proud of them. For instance, depending on the subject in which they excelled, we could say, “Mary McCleod Bethune, George Washington Carver, Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, [fill in the blank] would be so proud of you.”
These may seem like small gestures, but they can do a lot to show how much we value the time and effort our children are putting into their education. We cannot wait until final graduation to cheer them on; they need support and encouragement along the way. We need to show through our actions that we think education is a worthy cause. If we prioritize education, so will they. So let’s get into the habit of cheering just as much when they do something well in school as we do when they perform some amazing feat during a sporting event. 2-4-6-8, Education is really great!!
Questions of the Week:
What are ways you can think of to cheer for education?
How can we cheer our children on as a community?
Published February 12, 2017
© Telesia Davis, 2017