I recently read a bumper sticker that read, "Childhood is a Journey, not a Race". This message has stuck with me and I'll often repeat it to myself. Jerry and I are perpetually trying to find balance between the journey and the race in regard to Ella. It's so hard not to get a number and reach for the Gatorade on the sidelines(Like that Honey? A little work plug?) as you push your child to "greatness". But what is it, do you suppose, we'll end up with at the finish line? Will we be happy? More importantly, will Ella be happy? I've come to the decision that this is Ella's race to run. She can moderate her own pace and Jerry and I will be on the sidelines making up cheers embarrassing the "s" out of her. By the way, I'm convinced he and I will totally excel in this area. I've also decided that the race-course is not always the best route. I read about schools shutting down their arts, their music and their sporting programs. Kids are no longer getting recess and kindergarten has been stretched to a full day to accommodate growing academic pressures. I just learned yesterday that kindergartners are graduating to first grade knowing how to read, write and complete basic math problems. But what is the sacrifice? We may be churning out kids that can perform better on standardized tests but how are they in life? Tomorrow I will likely be working on letter recognition with our poor girl but today I'm a mother taking a stand. No block stacking and number reciting tonight!
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