Last week, I shared my 2022 plan of action on where to begin amidst the volatility of circumstances we are facing today. I started with “Breathe,” “Quiet the Noise” and started with some points on how to “Assert the Choice to Take Charge.” This week, let me continue how we can take charge.
With regards to child education, taking charge means cooperating more with our kids’ teachers, as well as the school’s administration. Be sure to check the school announcements and try your best to attend parent-teacher conferences for all subjects, not just those with problematic grades. It is good to know how your children are participating and how to further motivate them. It is good to also have sources of praise to give your child on the subjects they do well in, instead of just those they are struggling with.
Different schools offer different parent support. I like this 4-C program I learned about that Greenmeadows Learning Center (GLC) together with the Learning Center Affiliates are offering. 4-C means Core Community Check and Care. It is a digital avenue for families during these extraordinary times to be able to have a channel for medical bulletins, inspirational messages, practical reminders and suggested home activities, as we all cope with the extended pandemic situation and unexpected surge of the new variant. A chat box is also provided for parents that may have any questions.
With the surge of the new variant affecting most families and their household, they aim to be pro-active in making their school community presence felt. They hope to extend their compassion and care through a digital platform, and be a channel for your inquiries on health, the child, emotional aspects and others. To get these information, the materials are uploaded daily in a child’s Google Classroom for families of Learning Center Affiliates (LCA) community. These are also posted at the school affiliate social media accounts. It is a short-term program and will conclude by February when the surge of the new Covid variant will hopefully be on a downward trajectory.
Their teaching team will also be checking on each and every family through a text message to make sure all are doing well and if there is any assistance needed. They are respectful of each family’s privacy and assures that health information and personal matters are kept confidential with the school team at all times. They even have medical consultants that they can refer for consult and likewise have Ogalala and Dr. Ds Happy Learning World as partners to be available for those who are interested. For more information, you can contact them via +63929-8001781, avr.lca.ph@gmail.com, or glc.elearningprogram@gmail.com.
My last point in taking charge involves taking charge in our “craft”. This involves our daily activities at work, home and the community. I choose to lump them as one because I believe in having “one” solution for this. Although I am aware that there are around seven areas of our lives—spiritual, health/wellness, financial, social, relationships, educational and career/purpose—I choose to apply the same principles to “Simplify My Life”.
I am lucky that my sister, Joan Ross Yao, has been a mental health and wellness practitioner for five years. I also have great mentors here and around the globe that continuously direct me to a more guided path. From them, as well as from books I have shared before, like The One Thing by Gary Keller, my method to take charge are: mindset, core and “Do to Learn”.
I have shared many thoughts on having a growth mindset in the past but I love Joan’s way of explaining it as multiple sizes of bilaos (native shallow baskets for rice or local snacks). She shares it is our decision on how big we want ours to be and to work toward expanding it. The second is about building and protecting our core. For me, this means being clear about the values I opt to adhere to and demand from people around me. Joan suggests these to be “Empowered, Integrity and Respect”. It sounds simple, but I truly feel this second point makes me a whole lot calmer in making either daily or big decisions. And, lastly, I decided to do things not necessarily to win but to learn. It takes the pressure off. So, as long as I have planned everything to the best of my ability, I just press the “Go” button in me.
If this pandemic has taught me anything, it is that I need to accept the volatility of my external circumstances but also take charge on how I choose to live through it for myself, my family and my circle of influence. Do I choose fear or faith? I decided that I choose to always begin in faith that life is and will always be good, as long as we choose to see it so. Let’s all look forward to a better 2022.
Image credits: Tim Mossholder on Unsplash