An Important Bedtime Story

"You're the most important person here" was all it took. It hit me right at that spot that hurts if something really gets to you.

I am a full grown lady, and those words matters to me.

Imagine the impact on troubled teens, confused young adults, traumatised children, lost souls.

Those words were powerful.

It was a demonstration of how a Play Therapist does their sessions with their clients and I was moved.

I felt like this once before.. feeling like I have to do this. I have to help every children. During my first year of teaching. It felt like me against the world, saving one child at a time. It was never enough to just be their teacher.

Then I mellowed.

I think it was nearly the fourth year of being a teacher that I realised being a teacher was never just about saving every kid. It was more than that. It was about reaching out for help-- reaching out to the parents, other teachers, the community-- to work together for the sake of the children.

This is not a one time thing for me. I am in this for the long run. This is important to me because it matters.

So here I am, reaching out.

To all parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, teachers, all adults who have children under your care, take time to play with the children. Even if its not yours because play matters. It really does.

All it takes is 10 minutes, said the Play Therapist. But I am pretty sure we can do better than that.

10 minutes of child directed play. No adult rules or instructions, just your children and your inner child. Let your toddler lead an imaginative play. Allow your 8 year old to create an artistic mess (you can always clean it up together later). Allow your teenager to make a decision for once and follow it through (as long as nobody gets hurt i think you'd be fine). And at the end of it all, hold them, look them in the eyes, and say, "You are the most important person here." Or whisper to them just as they fall asleep.

Play builds up the brain. No play means no brain development, no solid foundation. Mind and body connection is vital for the rest of your life. It is not a throw-away thing that you just use once when you're a kid. Just because we're all grown up that doesn't mean we stop playing; we just call it a different name.

Hope that's worth your bedtime story. Thanks for reading :)

Good night. 

Love,

Teacher Najmi