By Rachel Betzen, M.S., CCC/SLP
Reflection written for weekly staff meeting and “rounds” Based on Kid President’s “Pep Talk”
It’s time for a pep talk. Sometimes we all need a little motivation. Sometimes we all need to rally our cheerleaders, huddle up with our team, make a game plan, lay out our moves, and just go for it. Fall brings lots of changes and is a time of transition. This change in seasons with the beautiful falling leaves brings other changes and challenges that happen internally.
Kids that struggle in school are finding out that it’s not getting any easier, and many of them feel like they are getting further behind. Kids that struggle socially have their potential peers getting busier with sports, clubs, homework, and other demands on their time. Parents that struggle to support these kids are becoming more stressed out about unfinished homework, challenging school projects, and worries over whether their child will be able to make it this year. Fall can be a stressful time for kids that struggle.
In times of great need, there will be those who step up to the challenge, to see what they are really made of and really capable of. We can’t expect these to be our children, not yet. However, I believe that it is tremendously powerful for our kids to understand that they have the potential to become that kind of person. They have the potential to become an inspiration for other kids who have the same challenges. They won’t see it yet, and they may not even believe us, but we have to help them step back and look at the big picture. They have the potential to be the one who will someday give this pep talk to others. They can be a hero, a leader, a friend.
In order for our kids to achieve this, they have to work through their challenges. Kids with speech-language delays and learning differences have more than their fair share of challenges, that is for sure. The increasing demands and expectations of schoolwork can easily overwhelm them, and they can get stuck in this feeling of overwhelm. This is when they need a pep talk. This is when they need to rally their cheerleaders and gather their team support. This is when they need to realize that this isn’t about a game or a competition, we really are all in this together, or at least we should be. We can be amazing cheerleaders and inspire our children and their parents to be on the same team and rally for the same goal. We all need a pep talk sometimes. The most powerful pep talks of all, are the ones that inspire our kids to become an inspiration themselves.
Go team Go!!!
