Scott Schimmel 0:20
Well, hey, welcome back to another episode of The YouSchool podcast. And I just want to say Happy Summer. Happy summer! Our summer to our family started 55 minutes ago. And while I'm recording this, I've got lots of noise, there's, like a Taylor Swift is playing in the next rooms, girls dancing around the house, school's out for summer. And I this morning, got to go, had to go got to go, I got to go to an eighth grade promotion ceremony for our oldest daughter or middle child, Grace, and I, I just have to admit, so here's my confession. And I continue to say this joke, even though it's not funny, which is very, very true to my personality, I would rather go to a funeral than a graduation ceremony. That's my joke. Now, it's not true. I don't want anyone to die. But the joke is, most people would, I think most people would agree that these these ceremonies for whether it's fifth grade, eighth grade, 12th grade College, etc. They're not the most lively celebrations, if that makes sense. And I just, you know, recognize that that's coming up on the calendar, it's gonna be stressful to get out of the house, the kid, whoever the kid is, is going to be stressed out, we're gonna have to find parking, we're gonna have to walk, we're gonna have to find seating, save seats for family members. I mean, that's the whole thing. And then we're going to sit through an hour or two of drudgery. And best case scenario, someone trips and falls, I mean, and then afterwards, little photo op, and then the kid runs off to go play with their friends. So it's, it's a, it's a relatively high investment for low payoff from a parent's standpoint. But I'm choosing this year, to have a different attitude, I'm choosing this year to recognize that a moment like this is, it's a moment in time. And it's a it's a moment for our family. And it's a moment for this kid. So just bear with me for three or four minutes, as we talk about marking moments in time, these passages and transitions in our lives and our kids lives that matter. And you can certainly avoid them or do kind of what I've done in the past. Like, it's not that big a deal. No big deal. Who doesn't graduate eighth grade kind of idea. Yeah, you did exactly what's expected of you. So, you know, we don't need to buy flowers, that that's kind of been my "bah humbug" perspective in the past, but I'm changing. I'm growing up. And you're coming along the journey with me. So what is this? What does this mean? What you know, what's I think on my mind today, as I'm sitting through this ceremony, is that we have an opportunity as parents to mark the the moments in time with our kids. And specifically, what I want to encourage you to think about whether your kid is having a big ceremony, promotion, graduation, or just going from one grade to the next, that we could take this moment to narrate the timeline of their lives. In other words, we can think and be thoughtful about what this means in their life. We can take a few minutes to think back on what they've been through this year. I got very teary eyed, misty eyed when the speaker today, a friend of my daughter's got up, I think she was the student of the year or the lifetime or something. And she walked this eighth grade class through the last three years, and specifically, that first year, which was just a few months into the shutdown, where their entire sixth grade year was virtual. I just started to think back, I'm gonna get choked up now. Thinking about the resilience, the missed the missed opportunities, the lack of face time, I know professionally, how crucial it is for kids in middle school to be together. And in so many ways there's good parts about the missing out on the critique and judgment and... but we have an opportunity to look back on the last academic year for our kids. Help them remember. Remember this, remember that, remember the team you were on. Remember the big project that you did. Remember the friend that you made? Remember the friend that you stopped hanging out with. Like to narrate the timeline. Because most people as I get this comment a lot about me because I talk about myself so much. I tell stories when I speak. People ask me, "how do you remember all these things from your childhood?" And one the answer is because I spend a lot of time thinking about it. And then I write them down. Every time I have a memory write it down. But I think also my mom did a pretty good job about narrating my timeline. And I think because she did, I have memories that are more vivid. And those memories matter. One of the foundational parts of resilience and mental health and well being, through research, is kids who know their backstory, kids who know where they come from, who can recall and recollect the moments that have shaped them. So this is an opportunity, whether it's eighth grade promotion, 12th grade, if they're just coming back from their freshman year in college, if they're just going from fourth to fifth grade, like our youngest to take a couple minutes tonight or this weekend, and just say and just talk to you about what they've been through, and what you've learned about them, what you've seen in them, what you've appreciated about them, how proud of you, of them you are. That's it. Happy, happy promotion. Happy summer. Maybe if you're listening to this, you started a week ago, maybe you've got another few days. But I know that this is for you, and for me, an invitation to reflect. It's a marker, it's a moment in time. And if we use it that way, it could do a lot of good for our kids. So I don't think I heard any screaming, but I'm gonna go back out to the celebrations. Be back next week with another episode of the uscho podcast. Hey, thanks for joining in on The You School podcast. We'd love to share with you the resources available on our website at theyouschool.com, not just articles, ebooks, worksheets and other podcasts episodes, but specifically you should know about a free course we have available called The Real Me course. It's digital, it's interactive, and it'll guide you to get clear about who you are in a great store you could tell with your life. So go register for a free account and get started on The Real Me course today at theyouschool.com. That's the you school dot com.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
