Darrington Academy Blogs

When we send our children to a school to get themselves back on track we must remember that even though we have placed them in a place we know they need to be, the time it takes for them to turn things around is different for all of them.

These kids have been doing things that greatly impact their behaviors for a very long time in many cases. I know for my son, he was making choices for years that were getting him into trouble on a regular basis.

Believe it or not, these kids have tools, Many of them think they are great tools and work fine and they really don’t feel the need to look at their role in the results they are getting. When they are in a place where they consequences are there and consistent and never changing that is when many of them will finally start to see that, just maybe, they should think about getting some new tools.

With the fall upon us I started to think about the fact that just like when we plant seeds to grow our vegetables and other plants that they need to go through different stages very much like our teens. They cannot just go from a seed to a flowering or fruit producing plant. There is no possibility that they will actually become an edible fruit or vegetable that can be harvested without many things taking place prior to the harvest.

The plants will need water, sun and the proper climate. Some also need the help from bees to pollinate and produce more flowers and more vegetables.

If the farmer were to pick the vegetables too soon they will not be very tasty and may be bitter and not even look like the end product if it has not been allowed to ripen on the vine.

Our children in the school are very much the same. They need to receive all of the proper care and nutrients in order to grow and become who they are meant to be. They also need to be receptive to the idea that they will be growing and learning. If they are hardened to the ideas of change it may take longer. Think of it like a drought of sorts. The ground gets hard and packed and dry and not much will grow. But once the rains come and the ground softens then the plants will flourish.

Therefore much like the forcing the harvest will not work on the plants, it will not work on our teens. They need to be ready to change and looking forward to doing things differently in the future.

When the ground is soft and the water and fertilizer can penetrate to the roots the plants thrive! In much the same way, it is only when our children are receptive to what they are being offered from the school, and from us as parents or caretakers, that they will they be able to truly grown and flourish.

If the ground is really hard the few drops of rain that fall will have no effect. In much the same way if the rain comes too forcefully and quickly, you will simply have run off and it will not stay to help the plants. It is only after along extended period of steady rain, mixed with the right amount of sunshine and nutrients, that they plants will respond to the effects of the water and the nourishment being provided, and start to grow. Much like plants, our teens need that continual and steady rain of love and support and the warmth similar to that provided by the sun.

Water and rain can have a powerful impact on our earth, and in much the same way we can use it to impact our teens. Depending on how hardened and dry the earth is, will depend on the amount of rain ad the time period it will take to soften.

Once the softening has begun things will start to go easier for them. There can still be some dry spells or sometimes too much rain, but we must not give up too soon or pour on so much that we overwhelm them. By staying strong and steady and consistent and not giving up on our little sprouts, we will eventually see them fully blossom and become the fully ripened harvest that they are meant to be.

There will be times when we may feel discouraged and feel like we are not having an effect on them. The roots are there the sun is shining and we are providing the water and the fertilizer yet the ground is unyielding or so it seems. Then slowly things start to feel different. You notice a change in them. It may be just a little thing, but a sign of some new growth. You stay strong and add more drops of water. You remain that slow steady and beneficial type of rain. you can help to support them with exactly what they need from you. Not too much and not too little.

In the end the plant produces a great gift to those who are willing to take part. It can be a variety of plants, anywhere from a sweet ear of corn to a great bit juicy apple!! Each one different but all just as good and the very best when they are picked at exactly the right time!!!

Janet C.

Son Anthony C.

enrolled Darrington Academy

Posted on December 3rd, 2007 by admin
Filed under: PARENTS