The original item was published from March 8, 2021 3:20 PM to April 30, 2021 9:57 AM
By Kristin Henry
Resilience:
1) the ability of a substance or object to spring back into shape; elasticity.
2) the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness.
I see resilience demonstrated in TDRPD’s theme of #MountainForward in the preschoolers I have the delight to work with every day. A year ago, when my biggest disappointment I imagined was being closed for St. Patrick’s Day and missing the leprechaun mischief, I could not imagine the resilience that would be required of me, my staff, and the local community to get through a pandemic. As the months wore on, and I began to provide Circle Time to my students virtually, I was delighted and surprised to see young students’ daily ability to focus on positivity, and human connection.
#MountainForward was further defined for me when we opened our childcare back up on May 18th. Both my staff and I were apprehensive with so many unknowns with regards to this virus. We implemented all the new sanitizing protocols, including no adults in the classrooms, excessive hand washing and temp checks, etc. The crinkled toothy grins of children never skipped a beat as the adults around these kiddos wrung their hands and began to neurotically clean. Preschoolers delighted in seeing their friends again, making mud pies, and racing on tricycles.
Children have the talent of focusing on the here and now, especially in our community. I have watched our preschoolers wonder in the natural beauty that is all around us in this community. Crouching over a pinecone or using a branch to prepare a mud ‘soup,’ our preschoolers show their #MountainForward approach on the daily.
I have to admit that I felt the need to lean on the strength and brevity that I gain from time spent with these kiddos over the last year. When the world has felt scary in so many ways in recent months, I turn to my little people to gain perspective on gratitude and enthusiasm for the life we are lucky enough to have in these mountains. Children don’t focus on what we don’t get to do, but rather adapt with each change and find new ways for adventure. In so many ways, the TDRPD preschoolers are the epitome of what resilience means. Not only are they resilient, but they thrive and adapt to change in ways adults can only imagine. Their #MountainForward attitude is reflected daily in their ability to form connections with teachers and other students, as well as to the nature that surrounds them.
