Splitting hairs.

Do you hear what I hear?

Who keeps moving the goal post?

How did we get here?

When did we willingly choose to forget, or not remember that stealing is wrong?

Courage. Where has it gone?

Somewhere split between the middle of: Encourage. Discourage. Affects and Effects. Who knows.

As the inventors, architects and philosophers of the future ask of yourselves: Is there really such a thing as an accident?

Who decides what or who is right or wrong?

The world you are growing up in and into will need answers to these important questions. Your survival will depend on it.

Current burning questions will have to be answered by you. You will become the inventors, architects, philosophers of the answers. Please take care when you explore the answers. Especially when it is decision time.

My deepest apologies regarding the circus you are experiencing now. Selfish people have lost their way. Trying to cause many more to lose as well. Be a good example. Not a bad excuse.

Make work is just that. Making work with intent of passing the time. Moving the goal post. When you are given the gift of making a choice. Choose wisely. Don’t stall. Ultimately leaves open a chance for a gaping hole filled with doubt and second guessing.

Perhaps you have not been in school for awhile, two years. Prior to that many kids learned from their home. Home schooled. Schooled from home.

Whether the adult was qualified was of no debate. Of little consequence. At that time. A choice made by the parents on behalf of the best interest of their children. I, myself was asked by my child to home school. The reason due to overwhelming, constant feeling of dread going into a building to learn, socialize and eat. Simply too much. Too much stimulus. Too much to take in. To handle.

One of the most difficult words to say to my child about home school was, “No”. I understood completely. I heard him loud and clear.At the same time, I knew he needed to walk into the doors, the school doors and learn to manage. We negotiated the day, every day. At the time, a trained teacher was a better teacher than I to teach the basic subjects of reading, writing, arithmetic. Parents are their children’s first teachers. Yes. But. One requirement of parental rights’ is to act on behalf of and in the best interest of their children’s rights. That includes an education.

A parental duty is to prepare a child to be educated. To teach them to politely and properly sit at a desk, hands crossed, feet flat on the ground and be/are prepared to learn.

Be aware future deciders, that there are a boat load of school “choice” out there. They will clamor for your attention, your approval, your dollars. Please keep in your mind not to allow the circus makers the ability to take the children’s souls too. They may get their minds for a time. But use additional care in crafting out how the children’s souls are not sold out.

As is with life, sometimes plans made are plans broken. Or need at best and least, to be tweaked. Splitting those hairs again.

Not-at-home school days were exhausting.

It was exhausting for me. This paled in comparison of how exhausting it was for my child. He and his energy were sabotaged, attacked and hi-jacked the moment we approached the doors,

And as he moved through his day. But. We negotiated day by day. We negotiated activity, rest and emotion.

Regular and constant negotiation about the most advantageous way to not get off-piste, off track, stay in the lane, stay on the best path.

Forgot to mention the gosh darn bullys. Maybe I just wanted to forget. Either way. Once they got wind of a sensitive child. A “special needs” child. (A puzzling term) Everything could unravel. At times it did. As a result, we were required to recall and re-negotiate the moments of the day. From scratch. Other kids can be mean. Savvy. Please do not be mean. Savvy. Indeed it is true that social interaction and resolution is learned throughout the day. On the playground, in the hallways, in the lunchroom. (Not in a circus) Navigating the cues, clues and woos. Another host of tasks to battle. To complete. Daily. Throw in there a momentary broken heart on bully days.

Carelessness was never an option. Letting go at the door near to impossible. But necessary. Required.

We negotiated the days in “chunks”, or “blocks”. We would walk to school. Separate at the door as best we could. We had a little gesture to indicate, “See you at lunch”. We would eat lunch at home instead of the lunchroom. Wayyyyyy too much going on there-noise, slurping, crunching, loud noises. All proved to agitate the heck out of thinking straight. The break at home was one of calm, safety, connection. Regroup.

The walk back to school was again for healthy attaching, preparing the mind to learn. For security. For confidence to head back into the battle field. The gesture, the separation. The last “chunk” almost completed at the school door. For that day. Back at it tomorrow.

After school the walk home. Sometimes the mood of the day allowed playing on the playground for awhile. Wonderful words to hear. Usually meant a desire to belong. To a point. A good day.

Imagine the feeling of being on guard most of the day. Engaged and exhausted or dis-engage to stave off exhaustion. Parental skill required at the ready at reading the cues. There is no other option. Carelessness not an option.

Some fun kid events unfortunately declined, No. Thank you, No. Laser tag. A big no no no. Halloween corn mazes. No way. Hundreds of decisions made second by second throughout a day. This isn’t an “all in” kind of existence. We did not have the luxury of approaching the day in that way. More “ala carte”. So to speak.

When along came a another child. Joy and more decisions. Different decisions. Different cues to learn. Attention divided requiring more diligence. Serious situations require serious attitudes. Carelessness not an option.

Splitting hairs does not adequately do the routine justice. But it comes close.

There is a big difference between being forced to school from home or forced from home to school. An important point or hair to remember about the circus merry go round. Your skills as tomorrow’s inventor’s, architects, philosophers, will be to make this important distinction. Act justly on it on behalf of the kids. Not the so called adult-kids at the circus. The real kids. A tall order. Are you up to the task? Please hone your ability. As completely and thoroughly and quickly as you are capable. We need ‘ya.

Follow the money? Please don’t. Most assuredly that will leave you off-piste. Accidentally? Debatable? Another dire situation requiring your attention for your finely tuned and honed decision making capability. Once the line is crossed, the cost is huge. Ask yourself, “What drives you” to enable and engage your rights. Your right to learn. To sit at a desk. To have your space.

Careless. Don’t mistake confused with confusion. Savvy vs. Shifty. These are important nuances. Please take written and observational notes as you go along.

One last absolute. The joy and necessity of a companion. The company of a pet. Dog, Turtle, Guinea pig, gecko, frog, gerbil, hamster (not a small dog comparative). When all else fails on the human front that day, the ability to connect with a being that did not talk. Pure Gold. No having to explain oneself. Just side by side. Hanging out. Someone to talk to, who did not talk back. The parents in the picture appreciate the little guy too! Keeps us all on track. On the right path. Not off-piste.

Oftentimes, a valid, strong argument for not staying in your lane is warranted.