“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, “Look for the helpers, you will always find people helping.” -Fred Rogers
This is one of my favorite quotes of Fred Rogers. Look for the helpers, the one’s shining their light, the Lightworkers.
There are Lightworkers all over the world in many different fields, there are those in the retail, trucking, engineering, & medical fields, etc. that are sticking it out and fighting this battle to the end. Those in retail making the sacrifice to make sure we have the products we need. Ones in trucking making sure those products are delivered. Those in the medical field treating many who are entering their facilities. The engineers that make the parts for our vehicles and medical equipment, without them we wouldn’t have any of this.
I’m writing this today to give credit where it’s due. Our Lightworkers in the Early Childhood and Education fields, because without them, we wouldn’t have those mentioned in the fields above. Although all public schools have been closed, many teachers have been stepping up and sharing many resources to help students and parents through these times, keeping them on track with their studies and other learning. There are also many in the therapy fields sharing their resources helping to cope. There are so many, I wish I could share them all here. You can find what fits yours and your childrens needs. While all this is happening, a lot of Early Childhood centers are still open and operating. We’re open for a few reasons. NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children) wrote a very important statement on March 15, 2020, titled Childcare is Essential and Needs Emergency Support to Survive. You can read it here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VzAZI4UvbAYG8nsiO_DJGU3Rp41F1k0y/view
We’re here and in it for the long haul. For a lot of us, this is our passion and purpose. Granted, some centers have been recommended to close in highly affected areas, but there are many still open and running. We are working diligently to keeping these children healthy, safe, calm, and still have fun playing and learning. These are the children of those in the highly needed fields right now, all those mentioned above. We are protecting, guiding, and nurturing our future generations, as we always do. Another reason for staying open is for financial reasons, but this is not why I’m writing this. Here is a great article I came across this week: https://www.heartofachildconsultation.com/post/the-dilemma-of-childcare-in-covid-19
It is time to value and appreciate all educators from the Early Childhood field all the way up to high school teachers. Those in the Early Childhood field should be honored and respected just as much as our nurses. We care for these children for up to 9 hrs. a day, 5 days out of the week, connecting with them, nurturing them, keeping them safe and healthy, etc. It is time for the Lightworkers in this field to stand up, stand proud, and shine. We are the ones needed at this time. We are are the ones leading the line.
We can do this and do it together. This we have to remember. It’s our time to shine. The world needs our light. Sing, dance, create, smile, laugh, cooperate, pray, help others, meditate, excercise, have fun, it’s love & connection we’ve got to stay focused on. Let’s also try to stay centered in our hearts. Don’t forget to practice Self-Care every day, it’s what helps keep us healthy and keeping our immune systems strong. (I’ll try to write my next blog on this topic next week.) It’s okay to break down and cry sometimes. We’re going to have those days. Crying helps us stay emotionally healthy. Just give yourself that moment, then pull yourself back together and keep going. We are all one team, pulling together, holding each other up, and always having each other’s backs. We can do this. For ourselves, for each other, for our children, and for their future.
I hope this helps parents and encourages or inspires teachers to stay strong. In conclusion of this, I leave you with my poetry, this poem I originally wrote 2 1/2 yrs. ago, that I’ve recently revised. -Renée
The Owl’s Nest 