“Mom, every day I want to better my brave.”
Jack, age 9
To our sons, the world is a playground. They climb trees (even on field trips when they’re told not to–sorry, Mr. Schwartz). They scale walls. They jump over garbage cans. Watching them, it seems like they have unparalleled energy and unimaginable courage. Over the years, I’ve learned to bite my tongue and erase “be careful” from my lexicon. I’ve learned to trust that they know their own bodies. They know what they can handle. And they will look to me for when they need help.
When our son, Jack, was in second grade his big goal was to climb on top of the monkey bars and stand up on them. Understandably, school wasn’t thrilled with his attempts at this. He came home declaring that all he was trying to do was better his brave. It’s hard to argue with that kind of dedication to self-improvement.
Based on our Jack’s idea that every day we should try to better our brave, we’ve created a summer family challenge (or really, my husband, Chris did–wish I could take credit for the idea). We are each choosing a physical challenge and a mental challenge to “better our brave” over the next few months.
Designing this website and starting this blog is my mental challenge. I’m not particularly comfortable with self-promotion, but I am a big believer in idea promotion. And, I think I have some ideas to share. Mostly stories. Tidbits that may provoke new thoughts for you. Details from my days.
Each week, I’ll be posting brief musings that offer insight into one of the seven pillars I write about in my forthcoming book Start with Joy: Designing Literacy Learning for Student Happiness.
The seven pillars are simple, research-based concepts to help you find more happiness in your life and to help children create more happiness in theirs. Together, the seven pillars can help you embrace a life philosophy, teaching philosophy, and parenting philosophy to start with joy whenever and wherever you can. Collectively, these blog posts will offer entry points for you to think about the seven pillars in your own life. Which are strongest? What represents a challenge for you? How can the pillars help you and the children in your life to live a happy life? The seven pillars are…
Connection. Choice. Challenge. Story. Discovery. Play. Movement.
Oh, and my summer physical challenge–go camping.
To better your brave and the brave of those around you:
- respect that challenges will differ for everyone
- catch yourself saying “be careful”–if anything, it distracts children from doing what they believe they are capable of doing
- create your own personal or family challenge this summer to better your brave
- listen to the words of children with care–“Attention is the beginning of devotion.”-Mary Oliver
© Katie Egan Cunningham 2019