Hello everyone!
Independent Kids Committee here, coming to you with a few updates and a schedule for the rest of the school year which is winding down just way too fast.
The PS 107 Landline Book!
First, please come and see us out front of PS 107 tomorrow, Friday, May 1, and ask about landlines, or drop your name into our growing phone book. For those who haven't heard, a lot of kids have been using landlines and it’s a game changer — for etiquette (they need to learn to answer a phone), to connect with friends, and to push back the “need for a smartphone” by years!
Birding in the Park
May 12th at 7:15 AM, we will be leading the kids on an independent bird walk on the way to school! Kids will be given lists and descriptions of 10 or so common birds and we'll be there to help the kids ID them and check off their list.
Independence Now: A Chat
On May 14 at 8pm at Nitehawk's Tree's Lounge parents will discuss Executive Function and Independence: Charts and Lists, Alarm Clocks, Chores, and “Good Neglect”
The Independent Kids Picnic!
On Friday, May 22 we will have a Friday Picnic & Independent Playdate in the park at 5 p.m. until the sun goes down with independent activities for the kids to do in Prospect Park.
Let Grow, Tracking Kids, And Setting Goals
On June 2, our final meeting for the year, location TBD, will cover Let Grow in the school curriculum, a discussion of to track or not to track, and setting goals for next year.
And Some Words of Wisdom
The other day, I had the pleasure of reading an essay from the author of the forthcoming 'Go The F*#$ to College'. You probably remember his hit 'Go The F*#$ to Sleep' and friends, he's been through the entire parenting journey, publishing expletive-laden picture books for parents the whole time. As such, he's accrued some wisdom and I found one line to be brimming with it:
“The biggest paradox is wanting to do the most parenting when the least is needed.”
Doesn't that just cut to the core? For those of us who find that raising independent kids is harder than it sounds — a task that at times makes us want to use the worst curse words — this line explains so much. It's the kind of thing I couldn't help but share on behalf of the Independent Kids Committee.