Thoughts on children

I have never seen so much excitement in one school

as I did yesterday. After a week like this week everyone

including staff and children were itching for the much needed break.

Spring, a chance to make fresh changes

days off to do what ever you want.

Summer is almost here.

Now that my babies are grown I find myself

with much time to do what it is that I love to do.

However I feel the twinge inside

when the time comes to sign children up for baseball

and summer reading club.

I loved sitting in baseball stands to cheer for the babies.

I loved making the trips to the library for new books

and story reading time.

It passes all to quickly.

There was so much talk yesterday about Internet usage

for children and I agree about some of it.

Sign your kids up for these things that are free.

What kids really want is time,

time with the parents who love them so much.

Play outside, take them to the park,

get out the house and enjoy the outdoors.

Spring is here and every area is filled with things

to do with children that are free.

Unfortunately so many children do not have people

to do this with them.

I have this one child at school who is mostly in trouble.

Every day he knows that if he stays out of trouble

I will come to him as he waits for the bus

and give him a back massage.

Every day he waits for me to report whether or not

he has had a good day.

He has not lied to me one day.

Since we started this, about three weeks ago

he has not spent one day in ISS.

For a back rub, a simple connection to another human being

the touch of someone he knows loves him he has stayed out of trouble.

Every day we talk about life as I rub his back for 5 minutes.

On the days I miss due to having something to do,

he reminds me I owe him because he has had a good day.

I know there is also a lot of talk about the troubled kids

getting away with too much.

Most of us who work with them daily believe in tough love.

We also know though that some of them only have us.

If we do not give them some form of normalcy they

will not get it at home.

They will have no one to show them how they should

want to live.

Suspending them, leaving them home in the atmosphere

they live in will not help them.

I understand the feelings of parents of the children who get

what they need at home.

However if we do not try and teach them a little about love

and what is decent behavior the majority will

grow up as adults with these other children who have what they need.

I know it is scary for those who raise their children

to be responsible citizens but in the long run

when we try and help the troubled children it hopefully

will make the community safer when they all grow up.

More goes on in a school than

reading, writing and arithmetic.

We are all striving for a safer life for all children when

they grow up. We try everyday to make a difference in

a troubled child's life but realize this is also

for the children who have all they need to succeed.

A safer world for all children is what I want.

Know that my job as the school nurse

is so much more than checking to see if children are sick.

It consists of hugs, feeding breakfasts, explaining to

students what is the normal way to handle issues.

It consists of more mothering than nursing on most days.

It is why I love this job.

One of the things I am most proud of

is the way I mothered my own babies.

To be able to carry that out for other children

who do not have that at their homes

makes my job the most rewarding I have ever had.

There is not one employee at TES who

does not do the same with the children they

encounter.

the job of raising and teaching children continues at TES.