Let me be clear, our children do not need to fail to have a disability! What happens to students who always struggle with school and continue to “almost” fail?

Recently, I listened to a podcast by Rachel Hollis, where part of the episode discussed why the fear of failing is so triggering for many of us. Rachel spoke about how we do ourselves a disservice when we do not allow for failure or refrain from experiences because we don’t want to chance failure. I have always been one to dream but it was these fears of failure that were holding me back. Fear of failure holds us back from continuing to set goals or pursue dreams. The brutal result of this cycle is stagnation.

As much as we all want to forget 2020, please take time to reflect on this past year. How will you choose to view 2020? We want to be more purposeful in helping our children focus on what is important to them and how to spend their energy as they take their cues from us. How do you want your children to respond? We can spend hours on all the things we have lost or appreciate everything we still have or may have gained.

Why again is December so difficult? Because children crave consistency and routine and December is one of the most inconsistent months of the year. We have a winter break, days off for parent-teacher conferences, assemblies, etc. The “normal” schedule is altered including whatever changes are happening at home. You also need to consider the pressure of being able to afford gifts or the increase in the use of alcohol for celebrations. These factors affect us as adults, can you only imagine how they impact our children?

As a teacher and school administrator, I would dread the month of December as many of my students would begin to struggle. There would be expectations and hopes of what the holidays could bring, but ultimately it created more stress and anxiety, leading students to act out even more. Don’t get me wrong, most students look forward to this time, but consider the students that rely on two of their daily meals coming from school and who will have to find another means to eat. It was sad and exhausting to observe.

“Do I even have a choice?” This is the question I’m being asked most often now when it comes to what our children are being offered in school. The perception is that things are being done to parents, not with us or for us. What adds to the stress and anxiety is not being able to see around the corner at what’s next.