All Parents Are Teachers

To celebrate October as Down Syndrome Awareness Month, I will be (trying) to make daily posts of some of the things we have done with Wade that have proved to be successful as well as links for some of our favorite resources and products.

Sometimes I have heard parents say, "Oh, I could never be a teacher!"

But my mother always told me, "All parents are teachers." Your children are constantly learning from you whether or not you are intentionally teaching. They learn and imitate your attitudes, your habits, and your ambition (or lack thereof).

For all parents, both those of us who have children with disabilities and those who don't, it can be easy to think that the child goes to school or to the therapist to learn, thus relieving us of responsibility. But without carryover at home, the potential of your child diminishes alarmingly.

Don't say: "I don't know how to do that; ask your teacher."

Do say: "What an interesting way to do that! I have never seen that before. Let's sit down and figure it out together!"
(And then admire and praise him for being able to learn it faster than you!)

Don't say: "The therapist is here; now I can take a recess."

Do say: "Show me how to do that. What else could I be doing to help my child meet his goals? Are there books I could be reading to educate myself? What about DVDs to watch, classes to attend?"

In other words, WAKE UP PARENTS! You are teachers; you might as well be purposeful teachers instead of just accidental ones. I liked the church sign I saw this morning: "The only thing accomplished without effort is failure."

A little time invested in the beginning will save you many headaches later on.

So get up. Get a purpose. Get enthused. And get going! We have lots to do!

Here is today's link to inspire you further.
Homeschooling Is Not Optional