Last year I started devoting a post or two toward "back to school" conversations. Well it's that time of year again. Time flies by and I can hardly believe we’re purchasing school supplies.
We are officially back to school. Children are already doing homework, deciding which electives they want to take and gearing up for the summer/fall paid sports program. In all the hustle and bustle of getting back into the swing of school days take time to look at your child in the face. See how they've matured from last year and even over the summer and yet their faces are still all too precious and young.
Yep they're growing up. They are one year older and in your mind they're probably still so small in this big world. Well rest assured your concerns are felt by every parent, guardian, caretaker and educator alike. However, we have to realize these young people are students who someday (and maybe sooner than others) will affect the world great and small.
This is why if you're past the lower El (k-6) and heading into the tween stages then it's a good time to talk about Leadership. Yes, you should venture into the conversation of leadership with your teenager. Craft out an understanding of what leadership is for you, your household and your child. Define it, what it looks like and the functions (attitudes and behaviors of leaders) of this characteristic throughout their 9 months school year. Why?
Did you know that stay at home moms and CEOs alike are both leaders. They keep a unit, organization or group of people on schedule, targeted for success. There's a major salary gap between those two jobs yet they both can be responsible for making great leaders.
When you understand the phenomenon of these two impacts then you understand the evolution of greatness that occurs on the playground. It really does start that early. So take time and recognize not only the little baby that you will always see, try and find the leader too.
The playground is testimony to many children who have resisted drugs or acquiesced to peer pressure. You want to prepare your child to find the leader within, know what that looks and feels like and teach them now how to respond accordingly.
Did you know that you can inadvertently teach your children to be susceptible to peer pressure? It's true, that's why you have to learn to engage them and perhaps explain a bit more than you'd like as you are instructing them so that while you develop obedience you foster leadership as well.
Michael Phelps the great all-time Olympic and world leader in swimming with 22 medals (18 of which are gold) started swimming in elementary. By the time he was 15 he qualified for the US Olympic swim team. But here’s the important point. At the age of 10 he was breaking swim records in his age group. A leader had already emerged and being birthed for a world stage. Your child may not be Michael Phelps. But he and so many others are examples that leaders bloom even before many reach puberty. This tells me, that a conversation on leadership, peer pressure (which they all may encounter) is warranted. It’s evolving right before our eyes and we want to help foster proper responses.
Much success this school year,
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