Transitions




The first anniversary of anything is a big deal, right?  A wedding, a baby’s birth, buying a home -- these events drop pins in space and time, guiding us back to reminisce with the clarity, tenderness and grace only time provides. This week has brought us to a new first anniversary, the beginning of the Covid 19 pandemic, and how one year ago our lives were utterly transformed in a matter of days. I remember zooming into a meeting with the TNS staff, discussing the best way to serve our students while the safer at home orders were in place.  NONE of us anticipated that a full year later we would still be offering zoom lessons, and that our lexicon would grow to include words like social distancing, quarantine, distance learning, and essential worker.  Yet a year later, the vocabulary is here to stay, we’ve learned myriad lessons along the way, and finally, we see a faint flicker of hope on the horizon.



As more people get vaccinated and cases trend down, we will face another transition-- what will life look like post pandemic?  Personally, I am looking forward to a break from constant decision making (Is this a safe choice? Am I doing the right thing?) into freedom, enjoyment and ease. Yet, I know myself and my children well enough to understand that transitions, even happy ones, are not easy. If you've had a baby or toddler, you know how simple transitions -- diaper changes, going back inside after blowing bubbles -- can turn your little cherub into Chuckie real quick.  In the moment, this can make even the most seasoned parent feel defeated. A deeper understanding of why these transitions are challenging helps empower us as parents, and individuals, to navigate them with ease. In short, #kindermusikhelpswiththat.




Thanks to our foundation in Conscious Discipline, we know the brain is survival oriented and pattern seeking.  The process of changing from one state or condition to another (a transition!) can cause the brain to react to this uncertainty as a threat.  Transitions are an inevitable part of life, and while they can be difficult, we intentionally set up our kindermusik classes and instrument artistry lessons to be chock full of them, in order to give your child a safe place to practice transitioning.  How many of you have started the song “Show me please how you keep the beat” while wranging a boneless 14 month old into a diaper?  How many times have you sung “toys away” while cleaning up blocks?  These are transitions, and while they become second nature to us as parents, these songs and routines become a pattern to our children’s developing brain, eliminating the fear of leaving behind the beloved blocks while they prepare for what’s next. We structure our lessons and classes in the same pattern week to week to develop our students' confidence, and we sprinkle in lots of surprises and new activities on the way, to keep their brains engaged and excited. There is a method to our madness (even over zoom!)  and it’s all to support your child’s learning, development, and to empower your parenting along the way.




As we reflect on the past year and all that we’ve sacrificed along the way, may we never forget what we learned by doing so -- how to survive a global pandemic.  We taught our children how to care for others everytime we put on a mask or discussed making safe choices.  This is hard work, and I tip my hat to each and everyone of you for raising strong, resilient, compassionate children.  I am hopeful to see you back in the studio again soon!



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