Happy New Year to you all! I hope you had time to recharge your batteries during the time off school.
My family and I had a wonderful holiday break visiting family in the US, made particularly special because our oldest son came back from university to spend the holidays with us. This was something new for us. It's his first year away from home and we were curious to see how he would rejoin our family unit after a few months on his own. As an expat family living abroad, away from relatives, we spend A LOT of time together, and having now to adjust to having him be just a “visiting guest” is odd. I have to say that it all was much easier than I expected; he and his brother seemed closer than before, and he even seemed more interested in talking to us now than during his 12th grade year. I won’t get sentimental here about time flying by too fast, because I prefer to celebrate how proud we are of the adult he is becoming. I believe that a big reason for the responsible, sensitive, caring adult he is growing into is due to his education in International Schools much like AAS. Schools that have committed to teaching Social-Emotional Learning to students, that have invested in a robust counseling program, and that have focused on working with parents as a team. This commitment and collaboration have helped my boys become well-rounded, self-aware, and empathetic.
On a related note, a recent podcast I listened to was about the discrepancy of care that boys and girls receive from adults around them, and how that discrepancy influences their relationships with others. Briefly, girls are encouraged to foster their emotional side, while boys are told to be tough. I will let you listen for yourselves, the link is below. Although I can see this in our society, I know that this is not the message my sons received from their teachers, counselors, or principals. This podcast also reminded me of a fantastic picture book I have read called “The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse” by Charlie Mackery, full of so many inspiring life lessons.
My favorite is:
- “What is the bravest thing you’ve ever said?” asked the boy.
- "Help," said the horse.
Hearing my adult son be vulnerable enough to ask us for help in managing his new life reassured me that he will be OK in this world. Our teachers repeatedly encourage students to see mistakes as learning, to ask for help and guidance and I believe that is one of the most important lessons one can receive. We adults can also role-model being vulnerable so every student can see it as a sign of bravery.
Resources that inspired this blog:
MindShift Podcast : NPR. Their most recent is “How to Help Boys Thrive in a Changing World”