Beyond the Classroom (Part 2 of 2)

My oldest is starting high school. My breath catches in my throat just thinking those words.

"This is it, right? This is the beginning of 'real' life. No more playing around. No more 'learning is fun'. If I mess up now, my son's future is at stake."

That's how I feel about high school, because that is the impression I get. If my son doesn't take the right science class, then he can't take the next right science class, which means he can't get into the right college, and graduate and get the right job. It's time to panic, Rita. 

Yes, PANIC!

But wait, didn't I just give advice to a mom of an eleven-year-old? Didn't I say (and I quote myself), "There are things that schools do not teach our children. There is so much more to life than GPAs, SATs, and PhDs"?

Take a deep breath, Rita. You can't plan everything. You want to line up the dominoes and see them fall, one by one, so neatly and methodically in the pattern you set. You want guaranteed success, for the next four years to sail by without a glitch. You want to be able to see the future, so that you can make choices rather than mistakes, and live with no regret of the past.

But that is not life. And that is certainly not God's plan for  you or your son. God asks you to obey Him one step at a time. To be faithful one day at a time. To trust Him one thought at a time.

So trust Him, Rita.

Trust Him to take care of the details.

And do what you know is right: prepare your son to be a leader, a decision-maker, and a fighter for justice and integrity. Teach him how to learn, how to research, and how to communicate in speech and through the written word. Live by example and show him the importance of God and people, family and friends, work and rest. Remind him that it is more important to reach down and help the helpless than to climb the ladder to the top.

And pray. Pray for each day. Pray for each moment. Pray for each child.

That is something your son will never learn from a textbook.

Introducing… Susan!

I fortunately have several friends who are writers/bloggers, and oftentimes, when I read what they share, I find myself so encouraged! I love that though we don't live in the same neighborhoods or have the same backgrounds, we still have much in common. They are moms, wives, and daughters of God, seeking to live as shining examples of God's love to their families and their neighbors.

And so, I decided to share my mom-blogger-friends with you through a series of short interviews! At the end of each interview, there will be a link to their blog. I know that if you are like me, you don't have tons of time to sit and read through tons of blog posts or emails, but maybe today you too will find yourself reading just the very words you need to hear and be encouraged by my friends' words.

To start us off, let me introduce Susan Narjala, whom I met 8 years ago when she came from Oregon to visit her sister, one of my closest friends. We were both pregnant that summer and so commiserated through the California heat together. Shortly after the birth of her daughter, Susan and her husband decided to move their family back to India– a big and bold move for their family of four. They were able to come back to the U.S. to visit this past summer, and it was wonderful to see her baby all grown up and to catch up on life. I especially love asking her about daily life in India; someday I hope to visit her there! 

Besides regularly posting on her blog, Susan has had articles published by Relevant magazine, the MOPs blog, Parents.co, Indiaanya.com, and Huffington Post India. Her Indian and American background gives her a wonderful, unique perspective on faith and culture, and her sense of humor shines through all her writing. I can always see Susan's smile and hear her laugh when I read her articles!

1) Please tell us a bit about yourself.
I'm a mom of two precious kidlings who are growing up way faster than I'd like. Been married for 12 years to one strong, dependable man who puts his family before himself. If there's something different about me, it's that I've got one foot in America and one in India. I was born and raised in India, but ever since I can remember, I wanted to live in America. I first came to America as a nervous 20-year-old grad school student to Syracuse University in upstate New York. I later got married and moved to Portland, Oregon, where I had my babies and did the whole stay-at-home-mom thing. Twelve years and 856 loads of laundry later, we decided to move back to India and give up our American Dream. I've now lived in India two years and I love it but I still long for the green parks, the clean roads and Target.

2) What passions drive you in your writing?
WIth my writing, it's like my thoughts have to get on paper or on a screen. I think I started journaling when I was eight and don't think I've ever stopped. I love putting into words what God is teaching me through His Word or through daily, mundane, yet sometimes full of surprises, events.

3) What is the greatest lesson you've learned as a wife?

It's a lesson I continue to learn: don't expect my husband to be my God. When I put larger-than-life expectations on my husband, he feels the pressure and I become a pro at nagging. But when I allow God to be my number one priority and get immersed in His love, then my role as a wife and as a partner becomes clearer and more do-able.

4) What is the greatest lesson you've learned as a mom?
What shocked me most about mommyhood was just how impatient I could be! I used to think I was pretty zen and that I'd be a fun mom. Then I had babies. And, oh boy! Did they know how to push my buttons, or what? I think the greatest learning curve for me has been in the patience department. I'm learning that when I strive for perfectionism in my parenting, it's a sure fire recipe for falling flat on my face! 

5) What is the greatest lesson you've learned as a daughter of the King?

That no matter what happens in life, I always circle back to Him. And I can. Because He's always there. My greatest lesson is realizing my absolute neediness before God– and knowing that He is willing and able to untiringly fill me up. His grace doesn't dry up. Ever.

Susan, thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to answer my questions! There is SO much more to say, that I wish I had time for a much longer interview! Maybe someday she'll put it all into a book. (I'm hoping she will!) To read more from Susan, visit her blog Alliteration Alley!

Beyond the Classroom (Part 1 of 2)

Schools everywhere are starting up again. For some, it's a happy return; for other's, it's a shock to the system.

My friend fell into the second category this year. Her oldest started sixth grade– junior high here. After six happy years of elementary school, her daughter is now entering the fast-paced, competitive world of placement tests and honors classes.

And she wasn't prepared for it.

At least, not as prepared as the students who had spend the summer doing workbooks or going to tutoring sessions, learning advanced math. My friend's daughter had had a wonderful summer playing games, practicing piano, and camp with her family. She is not "behind", but now feels like she is.

My friend shared her frustrations on her blog, ending her post with:

Now that I "know" what I should have known about school, I think next summer is going to be different for my kids. Less time in the backyard and more time plowing through workbooks.

This doesn't sound like my friend at all! To encourage her, I wrote her a lengthy reply:

I understand your frustration. You expected school to be a place of learning, but now your children are unknowing entered in a race. Be careful because you will pass on whatever anxieties you have. If you give top priority to academic achievements, your children will learn to do the same. Then they see school as a series of tests and peers, with the end goal being "prestigious school" and "top career", rather than learning for the sake of learning and applying it to life.

It is true that the start of junior high means less time to "play", but I don't see "lots of boredom time to become naturally creative" as always equated with "play", especially as children grow. Children need time to pursue what feeds their soul. They need time to rest. They need time to process emotions and thoughts. They need time to invest in people. (Adults need this too- why do you think adult coloring books are such a big thing right now?)

The key is balance. I am grateful to my parents for giving me time to play piano and allowing me to take music classes while my friends took AP French and AP US History. But I wish they had also put less emphasis on academics and more on family time, friendships, Sabbath rest, and learning life skills. There are things that schools do not teach our children. There is so much more to life than GPAs, SATs, and PhDs!

You're doing a great job!  It doesn't sound like your children wasted their summer in front of a screen. Your son loves looking at giant books on chemistry! Your daughter loves playing piano. Nurture those desires in them and they won't have a problem in the future.

It is so easy for parents to get lost in the busyness of school and forget that education goes beyond the classroom. Maybe you are feeling frustrated with school. Maybe you feel lost in the shuffle too. I hope this encourages you as another school year begins!