The Power of Moments

Enjoy every moment! It goes so fast!



How many times have you heard that, as a parent?  How does it make you feel?  It makes me nuts.  It makes me feel like there is something about me that is inherently lacking, that someone would need to remind me to enjoy the experience of my own life. Enjoy every moment! Thanks! I really love this one that involves holding a regurgitated piece of chocolate while holding two winter jackets, a backpack, a purse, a leash and a very important rock, sweat dripping down my back, while loading into my van in a vain attempt to make it to class on time. That moment is SO FUN and MAGICAL.


One of my favorite authors, Glennon Doyle, has an essay about this phenomenon -- moms of grown children reminding moms of young children to enjoy every moment, and she’s very funny in her analysis of it, ultimately leaving readers with this point: you will never enjoy every moment.  It is literally impossible.  But undoubtedly between the crying moments, the tantrum moments, the bored moments, the bone weary moments, there are moments of absolute joy, and when we cobble together a few of those a week, a year, we’re doing alright.


Our staff training for the month of May tied into this topic, about the power of moments, (taken from the book “The Power of Moments” by Chip and Dan Heath) how they shape our lives, and how we, as music educators, are in a unique position to shape moments for our students. At Take Note Studio, while teaching your children music and valuable life skills, we are intentional about the process of each class and lesson.  We want our student’s memories of their music teachers and their time in our studio to make them feel proud, accomplished, and important.   


We do this through elevating a few moments each year, during sharing times and recitals, raising these experiences above the everyday, allowing each student a chance to shine.  We value pride in a job well done and take care to recognize each student's unique journey: taking first day of class photos, celebrating when we finish a book, and rewarding brag tags for milestones, to name a few.  We help students develop insight about themselves, providing gentle nudges and reassurances to help them stretch beyond their comfort zone, ensuring they know we are always by their side -- and if they fail, we will be there to help them recover.  Last, and perhaps most important, we build authentic relationships with each of our students, relationships that are grounded in caring, empathy, and validation. 




As another school year winds down, we will inevitably have moments in the coming weeks; we will experience transitions, anticipate the fun summer can bring (followed by instant regret that school is out. Kidding. Kinda.) and hopefully gain a new lease on our social lives as the pandemic recedes. As we embark upon a fun new season, please do not feel any pressure to enjoy every moment, in fact, I invite you to not even try. Instead, when a well meaning, seasoned mom tells you those three words in passing, while it's tempting to feel like we're lacking or missing something, let's use that message as an invitation -- to imagine what these moments might look like as a fond memory, regurgitated chocolate, full body sweat, and all.




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

When My Child Runs...

Image
     As you child warms up to the classroom (or right off the bat), you may see him/her start to become more active in our large spaces, ie RUNNING! We staff often see looks of helplessness, frustration, embarrassment, or oblivion on the faces of parents :) Let us first say, YOU ARE NOT ALONE, and we want to help make your experience at Kindermusik a joyful one for both you and your classmates.  Here are a few tips: Level 1 (ages 0-2.5):  Once those little legs start moving, they just don't want to stop (and they get faster!) This is age appropriate. You have two jobs at this stage:  Moving WITH your child -- follow them, find ways to engage with class wherever they need to be: hold their hand, pick them up, and MODEL inhibitory control (the ability to STOP when you want to GO). This takes LOTS of practice at this stage. It's exhausting, we know, but so important and you will see the results in time, we promise!  Keeping everyone safe. If your child is causing themselves or oth
Read more

It Can Take A Little Time

Image
 It can take a little time... and that's okay! In Kindermusik, we intentionally build familiar routines and rituals into the class to help your child become comfortable and anticipate what comes next. For example, from the very first day, we will always begin and end class with the same two songs - the Hello Song and the Goodbye Song. This signals to your child that class is starting or ending. On average, children need four to six weeks to transition into a new class - even children who have been in Kindermusik before. For some children, it can take a little longer. We're all about the process and not performance here at Kindermusik, and so we just give them all the love, space, and understanding that they need! As time goes on, your child will learn the routine, become familiar with the songs, and look forward to seeing friends from class (and so will you!). Plus, once they become secure in the routines and rituals, the learning and enjoyment really take off! What you can do:
Read more

The Top 10 Benefits of Being Enrolled in Kindermusik

Image
Kindermusik classes - by intention - are full of so much PLAY! It can be easy to forget just how beneficial they truly are for your children.  So, we've compiled our top 10 list of the benefits of being enrolled in Kindermusik! Benefit #1:   Kindermusik gives your child that   unique head start   you’ve been looking for – musically, cognitively, and academically. Benefit#2:  Kindermusik inspires a  love of music  from an early age with songs, instruments, and activities that are just right for each age and every stage. Benefit #3:  Kindermusik enhances every area of  your child’s developmen t – we are so much more than just music! Benefit #4:  Kindermusik gives you the time and the tools to enjoy  quality time  with your child – in class and at home. Benefit #5:  The Kindermusik App let you take the  music, fun, and learning  with you all week long, wherever you go. Benefit #6:  Kindermusik classes provide a happy  social outlet  for your child and a valuable support network for y
Read more