 |
| Photo Credit: Britt Reints |
Parents Are a Child's First Teacher
Valerie Rios
As summer comes to an end, I look back to the quality time spent with my 10-year-old daughter, Naomi. As we prepared for a new school year, I was excited and looking forward to my daughter continuing her educational journey. But I must say she had quite a few jitters, as she just started 5th grade at a new school. Her jittery feelings of going to a new school meant not only a new campus, but also new teachers, and new friends.
Some of her concerns were, “What if I can’t make friends?” “What if I get lost on campus?” There's been a lot of “What if?” conversations around my house lately. I reassured her that everything would be OK by letting her know she would do great, she has such as sweet personality, and that she would have no problems making friends. We attended a “Meet the Teacher” night. I also took her to walk around the campus the evening prior to the first day so she could get a feel for the school.
I know that as a mother, I want my child to receive the best education she can get, to be around other students her age, and have a teacher who she learns from. I also know that as a parent it is my job to guide and direct her in the right path, sit down with her in the evenings to do homework, and talk about what she learned each day.
I want my daughter to become a leader and to share her knowledge and wisdom that she obtains during her years in school. I want her to be able to give back to the community.
We continually remind our families at KLRN that we are the first teacher in our child’s life. We should remember that we, the parents, are the role models and setting examples are more important than just words. I like to encourage our families that attend our workshops and to read to their children every day, spend time with them, and that learning time is anytime.
