{"id":1526,"date":"2013-08-21T14:43:08","date_gmt":"2013-08-21T18:43:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.positivelyparenting.com\/?p=1526"},"modified":"2015-12-04T12:24:47","modified_gmt":"2015-12-04T17:24:47","slug":"not-another-back-to-school-blog","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mlparentcoach.com\/new\/school\/not-another-back-to-school-blog\/","title":{"rendered":"NOT another back-to-school blog"},"content":{"rendered":"
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I intended to write something great about sending your little ones back to school.<\/p>\n

But, geez…isn’t that boring?\u00a0 Here is a standard blog in a nutshell:<\/p>\n

Kids need more sleep, good food, a little more sleep, and some gently nudging back into an organized lifestyle (it’s tough for\u00a0all<\/i>\u00a0of us, isn’t it?)\u00a0 Sprinkle some stuff about making friends and making time for homework, and BOOM, you have yourself the standard back-to-school blog.*<\/p>\n

YAWN.<\/p>\n

As I frittered away my time, trying to\u00a0not<\/i>\u00a0write the above, I came across this:<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

No longer forward nor behind<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

I look in hope or fear;<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

But, grateful, take the good I find,<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

The best of now and here.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0– John Greenleaf Whittier<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Now this,\u00a0this is saying something<\/i>.<\/p>\n

You see, a couple of weeks ago I was lucky enough to find myself with some amazing people at The Omega Institute.\u00a0 There was\u00a0Susan Cain<\/span><\/a><\/span>, who talked about the beauty of the introvert, as well as\u00a0Sil Reynolds<\/span><\/a><\/span>\u00a0talking about the beauty of mothers and daughters.\u00a0 But the real reason I drove to Rhinebeck, NY?\u00a0 To hear\u00a0Dr. Gordon Neufeld<\/span><\/a><\/span>\u00a0talk about his book,\u00a0“Hold on to Your Kids”<\/span><\/a>; a book that has left an indelible impression on me as a parent and a coach.<\/p>\n

He talked (and talked<\/i>) about attachment and “you see,” he would laugh, “you all\u00a0already know how to do this<\/i>.\u00a0 There are no secrets here, secrets of how to attach to your children, of how to connect, of how to love.\u00a0 You know how…it is your parenting birthright<\/i>.”<\/p>\n

I got chills and I knew that I would be learning from this man.<\/p>\n

So, I suppose this blog\u00a0is<\/i>\u00a0about going back to school…for me! \u00a0As Shakespeare said: “Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more.”<\/p>\n

After all, I know enough to know that I know some about life, a bit about parenting (and nothing when it comes to cooking).\u00a0 I know the best I can do is “take the good I find, the best of now and here.”\u00a0 And Dr. Gordon Neufeld is “the best of now and here.”<\/p>\n

Learning never ends.<\/strong><\/p>\n

So, as I start to learn again and make myself vulnerable to change, let us remember that our\u00a0children are vulnerable, too.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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They have grown over the summer, changed, made mistakes, had adventures, and forgotten their schoolwork.\u00a0 They will again (and courageously!) head off to school, meet their teachers, see old and new friends, hope people like them, and worry that they are pretty\/smart\/athletic\/funny enough.<\/p>\n

This is brave stuff.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\u00a0We, the parents, we get to love our children for the now and here.\u00a0 We will have gratitude for their very existence, without condition.\u00a0 Not because they are on the team or in the play or running for office.\u00a0 Parents get the “just because” love.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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It’s the best kind there is.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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A new school year is always my “new year.”\u00a0 I cannot shake the old feelings that come rushing back when I used to teach; it was the best.\u00a0 And nothing is quite as lovely as summer drifting into autumn.<\/p>\n

I hope you have a lovely start to this new year.\u00a0 I hope you take your pictures, smile your smiles, hug your big hugs, and cry your goodbye tears.<\/p>\n

Life doesn’t get any better than this…<\/p>\n

Bye Summer!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00a0*<\/a>And here is some info you may\u00a0want about going to back to school.<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I intended to write something great about sending your little ones back to school. 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