There is a lot to complain about when it comes to our current situation; being stuck ( Oh I mean self-isolated) at home, our entire world being disrupted, missing events we were looking forward to, school being closed, lost income, I could go on… but just for a moment what if we looked for a few good things.
Meeting New People
I have spent some time thinking about this. What good has come from my current situation? For me the first thing is the new people I have met. Yes!!! I have met many dedicated ECE’s through this pandemic. They have all been through different zoom groups and facebook live events and they have been from across Canada and all over the USA . Many of them are like-minded and I am drawn to groups that have a similar philosophy but I have also met people in these groups who have stretched and challenged my thinking.
My family keeps teasing me about all the Zoom calls I have but unlike them I work from home so my world is pretty small and generally only includes my family and the child/ren I care for. I love the kids in my care but I need that adult connection and conversations! While my family are off at work seeing other people, I am working from home so my way of ‘getting out’ is to join groups on Zoom.
Zoom, Zoom, Zoom…
Slowing Down (and learning to enjoy it… well I’m trying to enjoy it)
I don’t sit still very well. I tend to be a putterer, always needing to move. Through all of this I have not closed my program but I have been running at much lower numbers. Actually I had one child for several days. This was a struggle for me for awhile as I pushed myself from puttering and moving most of the day to slowing down and taking a breath. This brought me to a whole new way of looking at my day. I was able to really experience following the flow of the child (since there was only one to follow). We played at his pace, ate at his pace, and engaged in the day at his pace. I realized I was wound up so tight pre-Covid that I was becoming hyper focused on aspects of the schedule. This is kind of funny as my schedule is pretty loose and free flowing but lunch is at 11:30 and darn it, we were going to eat at 11:30! I forgot how to slow down and just sit, just sit…and find the joy. I still find my mind going five different direction but that is an improvement over the ten directions it used to go!
Time
One thing about not having any workshops to facilitate, classes to instruct, or meetings to attend is that I now have time. I had myself booked pretty full before Covid. I had at least one extra event if not two or three each week. I was always on the go. Now I have time to sit (remember, I don’t sit still very well which is why I was always on the go), reflect (I have done lots of that), maybe even time to do a few of those projects that there wasn’t enough time to do before (I can also be a bit of a procrastinator although I like to think I just work better under pressure). Ok, so I have sat, I have reflected and made some notes, but I have still not got to those half completed projects… maybe tomorrow.
Wrapping it all up
So, what good has come of the current situation we all find ourselves in? For me it is meeting new people who bring inspiration, the opportunity to slow down, and time to reflect on my practice. When I look at all these aspects together, it gives me goals and ways I want to continue on my journey of growth of trying to provide the most developmentally appropriate, child led practice I can.
I know we are not done with this pandemic yet and each day bring s a new challenge of new guidelines and recommended practice and procedures and more frustrations and aggravation but I just needed to find some of my joy again.
Take care everyone… and look for your joy.