OP/ED: One Mom's job action in support of teachers
By Christine
All of the recent job action talk lately has me really feeling terrible for our teachers. I don’t know a whole lot about the politics of it all but I do know that teaching is HARD! I cannot imagine what it must be like to have to sit in a room with 30-plus children all day and not go absolutely insane.
And while not going insane, they actually teach them stuff.
I can’t even teach my children the simplest of tasks without losing my mind. I have come to realize, lately, that teaching brings out my inner Nazi.
Seriously.
There is, somewhere deep inside me (or maybe not so deep), a militant hag. This Nazi witch seems to come out in moments when I am trying to teach my children how to ride a bike, tie their shoes, or something of the like.
I start out all nurturing and encouraging.
That lasts about two minutes.
Then … she emerges.
I start getting really frustrated and nagging them:
“No! You’re doing it wrong!”; “For five cents, put some effort in!”; “It’s not that hard!”; You’re not even trying!”; “Geez Louise!”
This escalates until I am yelling.
All the while, I’m thinking, Geez Christine, give the kid a break, he’s only four!
I try to control my anger and frustration, I really do.
I try to balance it out with encouragement. But encouraging phrases coming through clenched teeth really aren’t that encouraging. The worst part is, I know I that am being unreasonable. If I ever saw a mother yelling, “Pump your legs! Yes, you’re doing it! NO!!!! I said PUMP, not flail around like a fruitcake! Okay, good! That’s better! What the? Geez Louise! How hard can it be?!”, I would think she was the worst mother in the world! Not to mention a little psychotic.
(I think this is a good time to confess that I was well over seven when I finally learned to ride a bike.)
The thing is, I am a good mom.
I love my children. I am fiercely protective of them. I would take a bullet for them.
I just also have a Nazi living within.
Where this cruel lady came from, I do not know. All I know is that I have the utmost respect for our teachers. They are truly amazing.
In support of all teachers and, more importantly, for the sake of my children’s mental health, I am going to be taking up my own little job action here at home.
I vow avoid teaching my children anything … and perhaps to pursue a little bit of therapy.
I will bake cookies, I will read to them, I will cheer them on and buy them things and drive them places, I will love them … but I will NOT teach them.
To my kids, please don’t ever ask me to teach you anything. If you do ask, and I say “no”, please know that I am not acting out of indifference, I am just trying to protect you … from me.
I think it’s best I leave the whole ‘teaching’ thing to the experts.
