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Parenting With A Purpose
Donna Janel Williams, a Chester native is on a mission to bring back the responsibility, nobility, and beauty back to parenting. Parenting With A Purpose show aims to reach, teach and propel single mom, single dads, married, divorced, adopted, and foster parents all over the world with engaging conversations to help parents raise up successful leaders. Donna Janel believes parents are the bows and children are the arrows and they will land in the direction we aim them.
Parenting With A Purpose
Bridging Gaps: Elevating Early Childhood Education and Parental Involvement
What if the past experiences of a teacher could illuminate the importance of early childhood education? Join us as we have an engaging conversation with Briel Hurling, an elementary school teacher who has transitioned from being a Teacher in rural Pennsylvania to shaping young minds in an urban charter school in Wilmington, Delaware. Briel shares her distinctive insights on the stark contrasts between rural and urban educational settings, emphasizing the pivotal developmental stage of kindergarten where children grasp basic but essential skills like holding a pencil and using scissors. We also delve into the critical role of preschool education, the disparities it creates among children, and the significant challenges parents face with the cost and availability of these programs.
Brielle shines a light on the power of reading and communication in a child's early years. From the importance of daily reading to children starting in the womb to weaving new words into everyday activities, we outline strategies to build a strong educational foundation at home. We touch on societal challenges, particularly within the Black community, and discuss how parents can partner with teachers to overcome these barriers. Our conversation also covers the essential elements of healthy routines, including adequate sleep and nutrition, that significantly impact a child’s performance and well-being.
Safety in schools is a pressing concern that we tackle head-on, sharing heart-wrenching stories and practical strategies to support children in feeling secure. Briel offers a personal look at the measures taken to protect students during threats, from turning drills into less frightening games to the crucial role of parent-teacher communication in these scenarios. We conclude by touching on the evolving landscape of digital technology and its impact on parenting, setting the stage for our next episode that promises to deliver eye-opening insights on this ever-relevant topic. Join us for an episode packed with valuable advice to empower and support parents in nurturing successful, well-rounded children.
Parents are the Bows and Children are the Arrows they will land wherever we aim them eventually!
Thank you, we'll be right back. We live. How does that? Hey everybody, welcome back to Parenting with a Purpose. I am your host, donna Janelle.
Speaker 1:And I am your co-host, Pamela, Today we're going to be talking about education, right? You know, our job here at Parenting with a Purpose is to bring back the responsibility, nobility and beauty back into parenting. As you know, our theme, our mission here is saying that parents are the bowls and children are arrows. They will land wherever we send them, as long as we equip them, give them the tools to land, as long as we don't send the kids outside butt naked, as long as we close them, right. So today, our special guest here is Brielle Hurley. She is an elementary school teacher. Welcome to the studio, welcome, thank you. All right, so, brielle, today we're going to be talking about education and the importance of parental involvement. So Bria is going to share her expertise or insight being an elementary school teacher. Some things that I got, some questions for you tonight Bria.
Speaker 2:So first we're going to start by you. Just tell us a little bit about yourself, you know. So the audience get to know who you are and what you do, and why you do what you do. Ok, well, my name is Brielle. I am a kindergarten teacher in Wilmington, delaware, at a local charter school. I had a love for children since I was younger and I had to ask God like OK, what is my purpose? What do you want me to do with these children? He gave it to me like you're going to be a teacher. And I was like okay, I was working in Pennsylvania for about four years as a PCA personal care assistant. After that I went to the school. I got hired on as a paraprofessional. That was like. God was like you know what? I'm going to keep you here, but I ain't going to keep you here too long. So I was only a parent for three months and then a kindergarten teacher position opened up and I've been a kindergarten teacher for three years now and I absolutely love what I do.
Speaker 1:All right, you absolutely love what you do.
Speaker 2:Yes, sometimes the transition I want to get into that real quick um, the role that you were in when you were in PA, what did that consist of? Um, how did that look like? What did that look like? So that was a big difference. Like when I say from Pennsylvania, I'm talking rural, rural areas of the horses that I'm passing by every morning, of the, the Amish that I'm passing by, like I don't see any of that now. Now I'm in the city, so of course the children are different.
Speaker 2:So you have your your children who are coming to school not sleeping in class, and then you have the ones that are in the city which are coming to school sleeping in class.
Speaker 1:Oh man, that's a big difference.
Speaker 2:Yeah. So I had to kind of the adjustment was like very big. It was like whoa, can I do this, or do I want to go back to that hour drive, Like sometimes just like that was your commute, my commute, every single morning. It took me an hour up and an hour back.
Speaker 1:So yes, wow, that's, that's so.
Speaker 2:You was out there with the mushroom farms and stuff and then you came to the city and they wasn't sleeping okay, you don't know if your phone gonna have signal or not I lost signal about two miles out yeah, like that's real serious.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so, um, so what grade you teach now? Kindergarten, kindergarten, wow so, yeah, like that's real serious. So what grade are you teaching at Kindergarten? Kindergarten, wow, so you got those kids that's coming in. Oh, so you kind of teaching them how to sit down, how to get adjusted? She's at the crucial area, the crucial age.
Speaker 2:This age is so crucial it's like I am mom and dad, like I'm teaching the basics. They're coming to me not knowing anything when I say anything, not knowing how to trace, not knowing how to hold a pencil, not. So we have to get down and all right. This is how we do this, this is how we hold this, this is how we use the scissors. This is how we use the glue yes.
Speaker 1:So let me ask you a question. A lot of the students that come in there have they not had preschool, so yes, so sometimes some do go to preschool and then some don't.
Speaker 2:You can tell the ones that do go to preschool because they come in, knowing their letter names and their sounds you can tell the ones that don't, because they don't know how to trace or they don't know how to walk in a straight line, or there are certain things that you can tell. I definitely can tell the difference of if they've been to preschool and if they haven't. And of course I'm always asking parents like hey, did they have a previous preschool experience? Because if they did, oh, I could tell yeah, it's important.
Speaker 1:I had a conversation with somebody about them saying they're not going to put their child in preschool because you know everything that's going on with schools and you know people are afraid. But I was trying to enlighten them on the social aspect of it and then also preparing them to. It's going to be a shock from being home with whoever Nana or whoever and then they go right to school and they're not even equipped to be at school because it's not like you at home you're doing what the preschool do. You know what I mean? Some parents are and some, and some parents aren't. But we were having a conversation because preschool is so expensive, right, and it's not like there's some states everybody goes to preschool, they don't have to pay for it yeah, but then we got other states, like here in Delaware, like you pay for preschool.
Speaker 1:Some people may go in the hair store, or some people may even go into school a little early if they have some delays. However, if you're just an average kid and your parents are paying for these kids to go to preschool, so a lot of people are opting out of sending their kids to preschool because they can't afford it. But now, when we think about it though, as we're talking about it like it's really important you're almost doing them a disservice.
Speaker 2:and, to be honest, speaking on the part where, if you are just like an average joe, your kid can't because when I signed my daughter up for head start, like I, I was denied. Yeah, and I'm like why am I denied? And that's what I'm saying. So that's the legislation part.
Speaker 1:That's like the state, like when we think about like first of all, politics is more important than we realize Because it really affects everyday living. You know our local offices and stuff like that, just those who they think economically like. You know, absolutely, because I got all the bills too Like. You know what I mean. I got cards and you know house notes and stuff. So I think everybody deserves a free education and it shouldn't be based on what your financial situation is and unfortunately a lot of states do not have money in their budget for our children and then when they get in school, then they they just don't know.
Speaker 2:So you just really and then they suffer their first years and when you think about it, most children get held back or they, you know. It shows up between that first and third grade and it's a big. So I could say from kindergarten like they lose it from after that. It's like first grade, then second grade, then third. They're like out of it. It's just like I know I taught you how to read when you left. Why are you not showing these teachers? You know how to read.
Speaker 2:Like it shocks me so crazy, it's absolutely crazy.
Speaker 1:But yeah, well, that brings me to the point of one of the things I know, one of the things that we were talking about in your takeaway is about reading, how important.
Speaker 1:So let's get into that, because you know we just talked about from kindergarten to the first, second, third grade, how there is like something that's deficient now because you're reading here and then now you're not. So tell me, tell us how important it is for parents, like what we as parents, because we already said, sometimes kids don't have preschool, right. So how do we prepare our kids for school? How do we prepare our children to be successful? And let's talk about reading first of course.
Speaker 2:So reading is fundamental. I will say that first Reading to your child. It just opens them up to listening and hearing and understanding that letters make words and words make sentences.
Speaker 1:I'm bringing kindergarten to y'all right, yeah, yeah, because keep it elementary, let's go. That's how.
Speaker 2:I say it Like they make words and then words make sentences and that's how we read. So I say it's so important to just read to your child every single night. It doesn't even have to be a book. Having that conversation with your child when they get home like, hey, how was your day? Did anything happen? How can I help you? Where can I start? Like just having a conversation with them. It opens up and it broadens their vocabulary.
Speaker 2:We know that we are labeled as black people. You know, don't really like reading, don't put our face to the books. So it starts with at home as well. Us teachers, we can't do it all, so we ask for a partnership. You could be in the store and you see something and your child might like it and say, hey, this is a toy, or whatever toy it is. Have them repeat it after you, just so that they're getting that vocabulary in them. When I say reading is so important, reading has declined in the state of Delaware, like over years now. So it's just I want to be that teacher that students come back and say thank you thank you.
Speaker 2:Like you helped my child, you helped my child to read. Now they're at the top. Like they're at the top of their class. Like that's how I want to be so.
Speaker 1:So essentially, what you're saying is that first of all, I guess in the womb, we need to start communicating with our children. What you're saying is that first of all, I guess in the womb, we need to start communicating with our children.
Speaker 2:Absolutely, because what you're saying here is like really basic communication.
Speaker 1:Yes, because as they learn how to communicate with us, then they start understanding and listening to words and then they start to repeat. Because kids are sponges, absolutely, and you know, this is such a crucial age where everything they're listening, they're watching, they're hearing and they're repeating everything they they're listening, they're watching, they're hearing and they're repeating. Yes, so, even if they don't understand, but they repeat. But. But these kids are smart, though they do be understanding, they are they be understanding, just okay.
Speaker 2:So that's funny that you said that. So so because of my grandmother, like a while back, and I and she'll say like oh, these baby, nowadays they're so advanced, they're so this. And I was like it's not that children are advanced, it was that in your time you guys like put a cap on what babies should be able to do and say and and things like that, exposing them to certain things I said. And then, even when you talk to them, you talk to them in this language it's not baby talk.
Speaker 2:And so if, if you will hear a lot of babies at that time. They are saying like goo, goo ga ga.
Speaker 2:But now you hear children saying real words and you're like hold on, no, that's what should have been going on if you were developing that, like you said, in the womb, because it starts in the womb. Letting them hear sounds, different sounds, reading to them, talking to them, letting them hear music, introducing it to them, letting them know this is what we're about to do With Victoria. That's what I did from the time I found out I was pregnant. I started doing that from day one, like playing no games. I got her signed up with Imaginary. It's the library dolly parton yeah from day one.
Speaker 2:When she graduated from it, she was like disappointed. When they turn, when you turn five, they send you like a certificate and a graduation and letting you know you're departing from it and they started your library for, oh, she was like heartbroken because she looked forward to going to the mailbox. She got to learn what a mailbox was, from exposing her what a male man and a male woman actually does for the community, for the world. So just starting right there, you're already exposing them to so much.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and so what I'm hearing is like communication is the like that's the key to everything. Yes, um, I do remember getting like natural national geographics um magazines in my little kid, so I just I didn't know they still did that I did they just recently started back they did that with my kids for younger.
Speaker 1:So I saw that I was like, oh, I'm gonna get these for my god kids, because I that is so cool of that learning animals, learning like how, history, like it's so many different topics and subjects, and I think that, like you said, like reading is so important and we got it. Communication, comprehension, like parents are the first teachers, absolutely first teacher. So if they don't get a foundation at home by the time they get to you and kindergarten, they be high, high, it's a wrap, it's a wrap, it's a wrap.
Speaker 2:It's not even behind it's, so it's so difficult and they're suffering yeah yeah and then it's like so much work put on us, and then it's like they expect us to do everything. I'm just like no, we, we are humans too, like we have lives outside of here too, so it's like we need you this is a partnership, that part right there. This is a partnership.
Speaker 1:yeah, that part right there. This is a partnership Partner with us.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I tell that to my parents every day. Thank you for your partnership. Thank you for responding to my emails. Thank you for answering my phone calls. Thank you for showing up to conferences. This is a partnership. You cannot leave this child dry and trying to figure. Have me and this child figuring it out on our own.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:Have you always sent out emails? Always, I go above and beyond with my parents. I probably do way too much, but I just got a message today like thank you so much, because I've had teachers where preschool teachers where they will only send out one memo and then that's it. I'm sending out weekly newsletters. I'm sending out messages on top of messages.
Speaker 1:I would be tight. Yeah, I like that.
Speaker 2:That's what I'm saying Make sure that you understand where we at what's going on what I'm teaching this week, what I'm teaching next week Be on top of the game, Be ahead of the game, so that way, when they come, they oh my mom taught me- about that.
Speaker 1:That's what we want. We want that parental involvement. We don't want parents to think that they're dropping their kids off like they had a baby to the house or something like that. You watch my kids while I go to work or do A, b and C. That's what it is those emails. I get those emails did you hear that part I was going to bypass it you want to do a U-turn Scoop, scoop, ma'am. So you feel that? No, honestly, because parents need to hear this.
Speaker 1:It's real talk. You feel that. Tell me what you feel just now, because I heard that it is like a daycare.
Speaker 2:It's like a daycare.
Speaker 1:And why do you feel that way?
Speaker 2:I feel like. So I know that the children that are in kindergarten now, I believe this is the last set of children that was born either during covid or towards like the end of yeah, because there was 20 and we're 24.
Speaker 2:So they don't have much education. They don't have much preschool because just think oh yeah, they're home Interactions period, so I'm getting them, and they don't know a thing if they didn't go to preschool, if grandma just had them home eating up cookies and cream and not teaching them letter A, b and C Right While they baking with them. Could be introducing it to them.
Speaker 1:Wait, but you know what you brought? A valid point. We cannot forget about COVID. Let's not forget about it. We cannot forget about the effects, because we're still living the effects of COVID.
Speaker 2:That threw a big flag on the planet.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so not only some parents couldn't afford to already send their kids to preschool, right, but then we got the parents that could, because schools were online but preschools were not. Nope, they were not, probably wasn't even open. Yeah, they wasn't open they definitely wasn't open, wow and they weren't, so now, okay, so you're getting like virgin kids.
Speaker 2:This is the last set, so next year it will be back to normal. I will have children that have been in preschool that know maybe because not everybody can afford preschool maybe let's go back to that so all right, so, so all right.
Speaker 1:So let's think about this how do we, how do parents prepare their children for kindergarten if they have not had a preschool experience?
Speaker 2:okay. So if they have not had a preschool experience, I would say to. So I know I will start off with at least knowing letter names and sounds okay that's, that's my.
Speaker 2:That's the biggest thing, because once they come in, knowing their letter names and sounds, it's so easy to move from that. I would say buy as many books as you can, okay, like load up on tons and tons of books, even if they can't read it. Like every time before I read, we always take a picture walk, like we always look at the pictures and I'm like, okay, what do you think is going to happen? Like they predict, they make a hypothesis about what the story is going to be about, and then that gives them like the responsibility of after I'm done reading the book. They're like, like we said that, like that's what we said. So they feel so excited. It's like, dang, I thought about that. So now I'm just going to start reading more books. And it makes them want to read when they hear that, oh, my mom just read this or my teacher read this and this is what we said. So picture walks are always amazing. Even if y'all can't read, right, it's amazing. That's the best thing ever.
Speaker 2:Letter Name of Sounds, picture walk reading to them. And I would say just get like workbooks, like dollar store workbooks, like they come in.
Speaker 2:I have so many dollar store workbooks, flashcards. Just flash them, hang them up in the bathroom while they're brushing their teeth. Like start working on sight words, like the words that we normally see every single day, like those are things that parents can do to prepare for a kindergarten if they have not had a preschool experience. But if they have had a preschool experience, keep up on it. So that they don't forget, because you didn't remember.
Speaker 2:It's a summer, right, a summer is about a couple months they lose all that time of what they learned, yeah, in school.
Speaker 1:You know what I see now, which you know I'm dating myself because, um, the internet and phones and stuff is all that I know. Your eyelashes went all the way to the back of the ponytail right there, yeah, so when?
Speaker 1:I'm thinking about it. I mean because, probably because pre-internet days I was alive, um, and. But what I notice now is that when I'm looking and observing kids, like wherever they are, they're on electronics, they're not. They don't have books in their hands, they don't like parents. Parents are bringing, even when they come to the doctor's office, like they're not bringing them stuff like little puzzles to play with, little books to read. I'm literally saying everybody has electronic in it, even at that young age, and me as a nurse, knowing the implications of them being that screen time One-year-olds be like tearing it up the screen time really does change the synapse in your brain.
Speaker 1:It really does change the brain structure and function neurologically. So I'll be like yo. I can't believe this one-year-old is on his phone like that.
Speaker 2:You know what I love, so go ahead Go ahead what you guys are. Chick-fil-a their toys. Oh yeah, Chick-fil-A, yeah they give out books, they give out crafts, they give about flashcards and guess what? The back of the seat. I don't use that for electronics, I use that for her go-to pocket. Yeah so it's.
Speaker 2:I don't leave crayons because in the in the summer they melt. They come out. Yeah, so we have color pencils, many color pencils, and we have like pens with lids and different kind of notepads, different kind of books or whatever it's in the pocket. I check it from time to time, make sure it's still stuff in there and different things. But even my nieces when they get in my car they're like oh, forget these ipads.
Speaker 1:They, they throw on them because they're like oh we what's in?
Speaker 2:what's in?
Speaker 1:the kids want to be stimulated yes, first of all, whatever you you give them, they're going to use. So, what you got to say about this, Because I'm telling you I'll be so frustrated when I see all these kids, with first of all these, are computers.
Speaker 2:Let me tell you what I tell my kids every day. You can do that.
Speaker 1:TikTok thing, but you can't read.
Speaker 2:That part, because that's all they be doing on TikTok and they be doing the songs and they know the dances, the songs, that's how you know, they smart Like they smart.
Speaker 1:But you can't read. Are they being made to read what they only going to do, what they're exposed to, right? So that's the thing. I seen a TikTok, the little girl she had to be four years old did a whole sexy red. So I don't even listen to sexy red. I think that's disgusting. But that's just my personal opinion, you know. I mean because it ain't even sexy really.
Speaker 1:But what I'm just saying is people thinking that that's what the word sex is supposed to look like right now so um but the kids, like I seen it, I'm I was so hurt that this kid was singing and all the adults was like, yeah, yeah, yeah, they was going singing the water. I was like, um, yeah, so I, I can't.
Speaker 2:It's not cute, it's not, and it's just like put on something educational, even if it's not educational, like put on something that you know is going to stimulate their mind, to get them to thinking and to make them grow and be a better person all this tiktok and this. I'm gonna do this and I know this song and we're gonna dance and this. And watch me do this, like I don't want to watch you do, I want to watch you breathe right, yeah, so guess what we do eight counts I don't know what that is oh, so in dance you learn by eight count.
Speaker 2:Oh okay, I don't know how to dance. It's eight count 16. I have no breath.
Speaker 1:No, no, nothing so you're talking about some eight count.
Speaker 2:I'm in my brain trying to figure out how to count eight move and count eight go ahead so you like, you like make sentences doing eight count, you do a dance like doing eight count, so you find something that your child loves, you find something that catches their attention. So if you see that these songs are doing that, you put it into an eight count or put it into something that you know will grab their attention or the instrumental, like a lot of everything is beats right, I tell y'all so you can cut the words yeah, and then you can have it set up where we're hearing this.
Speaker 2:Okay, you gotta give me a sentence or you gotta give me a word. Whatever word you give me, I'm gonna spell it you spell it back.
Speaker 1:I like those teachers I've seen on tiktok, though, those teachers who actually, I guess that's what they're doing they're singing um like their alphabets or their different thing to a beat. Yeah, I get it. I probably wouldn't have passed when I was little because I ain't got it um so yeah, but for those who do, they're like, maybe if they did it when I was young, I probably would have learned how to have beats by now. Maybe it would have been beats by donna janelle, like I don't know.
Speaker 1:But I get I get that and I understand that, um, the importance of really. So, basically, in order for our children to be successful, parental involvement is so important, and the key portion of parental involvement is communication. Yeah, intentional, because we want to be effective of what we're doing. Um, because there's so many things that you got you teachers are going through, right, you know, I thought about, um, one of the things that, uh, I was talking to the show last week but y'all are dealing with behavioral issues, right, because we're gonna tap on that behavior issues and then it's hard for you guys to really kind of academics because you're dealing with the behavior issues on top of it. I know that the most recent and the most scary thing is a lot of these school shootings that you guys are dealing with. We're going to tap into that a little bit later. Um, but how, as a parent, like, our job is to make sure that that you guys are able to teach our kids, so that starts at home. So I, like when you said, the foundation is like reading to your kids, communicate with your kids, be intentional, don't sit your kids in front of the TV.
Speaker 1:Yep, you don't know. Yo, some of this stuff I don't even. I don't even be watching TV, you know why? Cause I'm like I can't that you got this on this tv, like the commercials, like everything. And even if you're streaming now, because before, when we had regular cable, they would put any, everything on there. But even now streaming, it's like if you got money to uh advertise, you can go anywhere. Even now streaming has even just been. You can't even filter as much as you wanted to be streaming. So you can't leave the up to your kids with these devices because we don't know what they watching what they learning, what they watching, but also what they hearing.
Speaker 2:So, parents, watch what you say around your kids, cause they go and come back and they going to tell us and they going to tell us the real stuff?
Speaker 1:What they be saying.
Speaker 2:My mom went to the, the where To the bar. Oh okay, they can tell you that story better than they can tell you three little pigs.
Speaker 1:Oh, that part Fly on a fly. So we really got to be intentional of how, because I really believe, like, I feel like the societal issues that we have stem from non-effective parents.
Speaker 2:Absolutely, and that's where behaviors come from as well. Like I remember, I shared a story before. It was like Victoria was having an issue with another little girl because basically she could see, like your parents are showing up Not just your mom, but your dad and you got grandparents, godparents you got all these different are showing up, not just your mom, but your dad. Then you got a grandparents, godparents you got all these different people showing up for you and I don't got nobody showing up for me right.
Speaker 1:So they have anger and then that's how bullying happened and people tease kids who parents don't show up. Like parents, y'all don't show up. Oh, your mom ain't nothing, she ain't never. I'm hearing some stuff like I've never heard when I was younger, like they bully these kids for parents and not being involved. Yeah, like it's crazy. So tell us what else um? I know we talk about communication. How about um routine and schedules like how important is that um for our children to be successful?
Speaker 2:yeah. So I know at the beginning of the show we talked about getting enough sleep. So I know that some kids have like afterschool extracurricular activities, or parents will make them go to afterschool and make them stay until six o'clock because they need their time, like I get that. But also make sure that you have like a definite routine schedule when you get home, like okay, if you know when you get home you gotta cook, have that baby going, getting in the shower or in the bathtub, like knocking two birds out in one stone, because it's just like it.
Speaker 2:The longer you take to get them to go to sleep, the longer they it's going to take them longer to go to sleep right so it's like make sure that they get enough sleep, make sure that they get a healthy meal at home, a nice dinner when they wake up in the morning, a good breakfast. It's that stuff matters because it's just like when they come to us, some of them don't get that and I now have to be the one to tend to their needs, or tend to their whining, or tend to them saying I'm hungry, I don't have any pain because it's like, yeah, they miss out on so much.
Speaker 2:And it hurts me because I'm like, well, dang, like I wish I had like a little bucket I could right pass out some granola bars or something but like that's how they come to school, someone be like I didn't, I didn't eat or I don't, you know, and it's not just where I'm at, it's everywhere, it's everywhere I think parents aren't attentional enough.
Speaker 1:I really believe so I really think that parents don't understand the purpose in parenting, like we're raising, uh, children to be successful, right, so whatever success looks like in your household, and I think that they don't understand the foundational things. Like you know, they a lot of times, a lot of parents, are back to the old thing of food, clothes and shelter, right, they're not attending to these children emotional needs, um, mental stability, and even am I getting a nutrition meal because you can?
Speaker 1:I was gonna say you can say you fed your kid and you fed them pure junk. I just have one of my own friends as a preschool uh, teacher, right director, actually she owns her own and I literally just wrote a letter for her about the dangers of oodles and noodles. We're talking about preschool, so I literally had put in the danger of it, the choke, the hazardous, and also the nutrition part of it, because a lot of parents are bringing their kids oodles and noodles to eat. First of all, they destroy the texture of everything, they choke halfway about to die and we gotta do cpr on your kid, you know. I mean. So just educate, I think educating parents to understand what nutrition is, what it, what is a balanced meal, what is balanced.
Speaker 1:Um time I know, growing up, raising my kids, a lot of people looked at me like I was crazy and I was so strict.
Speaker 1:I wasn't a strict mom, but what I knew is that I only have a certain amount of wake hours, alert and oriented hours with my kids because, think about it, if we, if we wake them up in the morning six o'clock or whatever say, you say wake them up at six because maybe you got to be to work at eight or whatever you drop them off at before cure, right, yeah, so like in the morning you're rushing up like eat this. Or if you're saying eat this, you know here's a pop tart, or something like that. You get them together, you send them to pre uh, before care, which they're running around, they're not doing much, or whatever they done, ran that pop tart off. So then they go into school. They're in school eight hours, right, and then they're jump on the bus to get back home, or however they get back home, or after school programs. So wait, because most a lot of parents are sending them to after school programs right.
Speaker 1:So after school programs? Some of them are not, some of them are babysitters. Some of them are not actually geared to go over the homework to do different things, right? So then you have that. So then, by the time you get your kid back home, it's about six o'clock, right? Six, six, 30. And then you're throwing whatever it is for them to eat. They're sitting in front of the TV, or you might have them sit and read by themselves or do their homework by themselves, and they still don't have a clue what they're supposed to be doing, right? So, if you, and then you sit them in front of the TV, right, and then it's bedtime.
Speaker 1:Now, those hours are so important when they're alert or in the wake, because most of the time our kids are asleep. When we have them like, what are we giving them while they sleep? So I used to, like my people, my kids, didn't watch any tv during the week. They it was like, yeah, oh, you were straight, but it was. My kids didn't watch, they were at bed at 7 30, let me tell you 7, 30.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no flags. So this is how my this is my routine I know pause on the plate.
Speaker 2:You're like wait a minute. What job you had hold on they would come.
Speaker 1:They would get home from school, right? Well, I already had their dinner prepared, so it was either a crock pot or something like our all. First planning is so important, so I already had a schedule. This is what we're going to do. So when they come home, they're doing their school work. Um, the dinner is already there, so they eat dinner. We sit around and we have a conversation about school. Eat dinner, okay now shower time.
Speaker 1:Get your shower time right. One's in the shower, I'm talking to the other. I have four kids so I'm splitting my time, whatever. So by the time they finish their shower they come downstairs. It's about seven o'clock now, everything seven o'clock. So now we're doing puzzles, we're doing games, we're doing a lot of other stimulating stuff. No tv at all. So 7 30 they're in bed and they're knocked out because they had a long day at school and they did stuff.
Speaker 1:So when they wake up in the morning they're not cranky, they're not fussy or whatever, because they had that time and they didn't get filled with so much junk in their brain before they went to lay down.
Speaker 1:A lot of times we're putting these kids in front of screens, so their brain- is running and running so to the point where my daughter, my oldest, who's 25 now when she went to college, you know, her biggest problem was she couldn't stay awake. She was so used to going to bed at 7 30 unless she had like in a, like a lot of after-school stuff. But when, even when she had the after school stuff, like she came shower, it's time to go to bed. So her biggest challenge in college was she was on a governor board and stuff like that and those meetings were at nine or 10 o'clock at night. While she was in college she said, mom, I can't stay awake because she had the routine so much and it was crazy because all the people that was in the dorms and stuff they would watch the tv, they was on. She just her brain has already developed all these years of not sitting down and just watching tv, so that was the biggest challenge for her.
Speaker 1:I said, well, if that's the biggest challenge for her in college, I'm okay with that right um so even now my kids are 16 and 18, like they really that my the one that tested my end against her. She. They really shut down early because of the routine they learned and I cause I found like if I have these little bit of wake hours I need to be able to pour as much as possible in Dang Donna, you make me feel big.
Speaker 2:My sister-in-law too, because um brother and his lady that like my niece and nephew, they been on a schedule like I promise it's in the womb I'm telling you.
Speaker 2:I know like Victoria would wake up at a certain time when I was pregnant and then like, like she would try to be up in the middle of the morning. Well, like she never had that issue. Like my sister-in-law, she never had that issue. And like, still to this day, like my niece and nephew, they, they, probably, they probably sleep right now, not even to be it because my kids by 8 30 max. Like, yeah, it's so important and I'm like, oh my gosh, I've never had a schedule for victoria, I still don't listen.
Speaker 1:Let me tell you how important sleep is. I think sleep is underrated.
Speaker 1:It is underrated and that when we talk about self, when we talk about help, self-help and stress and all that, we need to understand that sleep is a part of that yeah your body needs to rest and the our kids need sleep, depending on the age either eight to ten hours of sleep or 12 to 14 hours sleep, depending on the age either 8 to 10 hours of sleep or 12 to 14 hours sleep, depending on the age.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I know they ain't cats like 18 hours a day, but I'm saying kids really do like and it's proven that kids who sleep well do well. Think about this if you don't sleep well, do you do well? I'll be tired, you'll be like I don't understand, I can't comprehend, can't keep my eyes closed. I'm extra silly, I ain't processing, so just imagine that as a kid who can't control that. So we as parents, right, have to put the foot down and say, hey, this is what we're doing. Even my guy children, when they came, when they I raised them the same way, they was in bed. Their parents be crank it up because they called me. They were like listen, she ain't in bed, because if she was at my house she was in bed.
Speaker 2:They know the routine, see, kids be knowing, because look my same nieces and nephews when they with me, look my baby, know if he be like I see I ain't going to sleep, I be like, nope, we up. She already know and I tell you we be up, but let me tell you when it's time to get up, they all handle their business and it's like Victoria, my mama, always say she's like an adult, Like how does that baby go to bed late and get up?
Speaker 1:But eventually that's going to fall because you can't keep up that routine forever.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:That's the thing. These kids are going to get burned out. They're going to get frustrated. Even we think that, oh, they doing this easy, right, right, they probably in their brain, they tired as much, they trying to keep their stuff together for you, because you ain't put your foot down absolutely it's not even that it was, it's literally.
Speaker 2:That's why I was saying what kind of job did you have? So like I literally was teaching when I had victoria like I was working at a nurse's office and then I was like the aftercare so I wasn't getting off till 6 o'clock.
Speaker 2:So we got our village helping us with Victoria. So, like you said, by the time you get home sometime it's 7 o'clock for me, even if I got stuff prepped or at the time when she was younger, it's eating. But it was like, like you said, said I want to spend that time with my child now. So, and giving her a bath sometimes she already got her bath because my mom or whoever she may have been with, like that's one less thing I want you to have to worry about. So it's like still trying to make sure I'm spending that time. And then also with the job that my husband has. It's like some sometimes we don't see him for like two days because he got to work around the clock.
Speaker 1:Right. So, even though so a lot of parents ask that question, it's like they run down their whole schedule like you kind of did or whatever. You know that's a little cute, so, but we find time to do what we need to do, what we really want to do and what's in our heart. So even villages are amazing. I love a village. You know you can't do this thing alone. Whether you're married, single or divorced, you can't do it alone. But what I do know is that even that little bit of time that you spend to your child has to be intentional, right? So even if you're not the one giving them a bath but you're the one putting in the bed, let's talk. My thing is that you're not sitting in front of a television sitting in front of a computer and letting that stuff teach them, sending a bid and stuff like that.
Speaker 1:No, you're being intentional. So, even if your schedule is complex as it may be, we as parents still have to be intentional and finding that time to make sure we connect with our kids. Because when you ask a kid what is love, I know I'm loved by how much time you spend with me, not how much money you spend on me, not how many games you get me, how many clothes and stuff like that, not the material stuff. It's really. I know that you love me because you're taking your time and spending it with me and that's what Tori says.
Speaker 2:I say I love you, tori. She goes I love you, maya. How do you know? How do you know that I love you? Like you and daddy, like y'all always make sure I got this, you make sure you do this with me, like, and she'll go down the line like that's, that's how I know. And I said, well, what if mommy's not able to do that? Does that mean that I don't love you? She said no, because you've already done it for me, right?
Speaker 1:so, brielle, let me ask you a question. So you, as a teacher, do have students? Because I see the flip side of if we don't do what we're supposed to do as parents, right, if we don't give them the proper rest, if we don't give them the proper nutrition, if we don't spend the proper time with them, what are the effects of it? What do you see in your classroom with these children who are not getting those, those areas fulfilled?
Speaker 2:It just throws them off, like it will throw their whole day off, like let's just say they come in and they don't get breakfast.
Speaker 1:They last night mommy had to work right, because we got to work, we got to work, we got to pay the bills.
Speaker 2:It just throws their day off. And I can. I feel like I'm like this, like I can read children and I understand, because when they come into me, first thing they do is give me love like they give me hugs. It's what I, first thing I do when they, before they come my classroom, I make sure I tell them good morning and we always do a high five. From there I can tell okay, something happened at home, let me call mom, let me call dad, let me see what happened, because it lets me know how their day is going to go.
Speaker 2:I'm with them for six and a half hours this whole time I need to know and understand if something happened at home last night this morning. If JoJo couldn't get cereal this morning and they really wanted cereal but we got cereal here Let me go get them. Jojo cereal't get cereal this morning and they really wanted cereal but we got cereal here, let me go get them.
Speaker 1:JoJo cereal Right.
Speaker 2:So his day won't be so thrown off, right.
Speaker 1:It's just the little things like that the small things that count. Right.
Speaker 2:And they little, Even if they were bigger. It's like the small things that count, the conversations with them, the letting them know that like look, I'm here for you, Like I'm here for you Like, I got your back, like you feel me.
Speaker 2:So I think it's it starts there. It's just like I can tell when they, when they're thrown off or when you know they're not going to have a good day. But it always turns out a good day Cause it's me. That's good. So I remember you said like emails and sending out different things you know, maybe in like folders or whatever, but if the child is having a bad day, do you have like an app or like different resources that you could get to a little quicker to reach out to those parents? Because I think that's really good if you can kind of know like there's something happening. Not, you don't got to go into detail, but, like you said, so it can make my classroom go a little bit better because I don't just have one child right right so, yes, I do have a quick system that I use.
Speaker 2:Well, of course, we all know class dojo. A lot of teachers use that for parents um communication. I do use that for what's coming up, what's happening, what I'm teaching what I'm doing. I let them know that there I also um to the parents that I know that's not going to abuse my number. I will get my phone number out.
Speaker 2:Just don't call me different times of the night and I also have so in their folders. We have calendars On that calendar day I do happy faces, straight faces or sad faces. If they got a happy face, that means they had an amazing day.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:If they got a straight face. Ooh, I had to give them a couple warnings, but you know, maybe they can turn it into a happy face If they had a sad face. They was terrible. I'm writing They'll see that under that day that they got a sad face and I'm writing a little note next to their side. If it's major than that note. It'll be on a sticky note and them kids know don't touch that sticky note because it's going home to get back. So I've had a child rip one up before.
Speaker 1:Oh wow, kitty guard. Oh Jesus, yeah, they smart, they are.
Speaker 2:But that's really good. What I just heard in there is maybe parents can start sending a sticky note or something that the child had a good day, the smiley face.
Speaker 1:You know that that straight face to let you know, let teachers know, like today may be a little wrong yeah, I know, I remember, because my kids were complex, you know, with the girls um, both parents being deceased, so. So there were times at home like we dealt with some grieving stuff. There was times where it may not have been like a great night, like she was concerned when I was concerned. So always I've always just had a great relationship with teachers and say, from the beginning of the year, introduce who I am or a situation and I'm, I'm that parent, so I'll be there situation and I'm, I'm that parent, so I'll be there.
Speaker 1:So, um, it worked out because then it allowed, um, the parent, the teacher, to understand that I'm a parent, that's involved, so that I need to make sure that, you know, in order for this child to be successful, I need to make sure I'm communicating with that parent, because me, as a parent, I'm going to communicate. Again, parenting, you know, we got to bring back the responsibility in parenting, the mobility and beauty. So our children are royalty, right, nobility. Our children are royalty and we want to make sure that they get the best services as possible.
Speaker 1:So, like I remember with the girls, because both parents passed away from heart attacks. So I remember when they were in elementary school, they used to call me all the time, like they used to call me just to hear my voice and know that my heart is still beating. Those teachers understood that because they knew the fact that these parents were deceased from heart attacks. So when I would get the phone, the teachers didn't have no problem when it, when one of my children said hey, I really need to call my aunt because of that communication communication.
Speaker 1:So that's why parental involvement is so important, because we want our kids to be successful by any means necessary, right, um? So we as parents have a responsibility to make sure that happen. You, as a teacher, have a responsibility, but I think the onus is really on the parent to communicate.
Speaker 1:You got 30 kids I got two kids at home can I step out and need to communicate the way properly. Yes, um, I want to shift the conversation a little bit real and um, this is a little bit kind of what we were talking about last week, because we we know that there's a lot of um violence in schools now, even in our young schools, and um, the topic, uh, that we've been a lot of people reaching out, even since the podcast last week about school shootings. Well, you know, recently we just had a lot of people reaching out, even since the podcast last week about school shootings. Well, you know, recently we just had a lot of school shootings, like, I mean, utterly ridiculous, I can't. Like I said last week, by last week, by last Thursday, there were already 46 school shootings for the year, 46. And 24 people died and 370 something was injured, right, so, as a teacher, right, how do you guys address because this is new for for us to understand I don't even think parents really understand the magnitude of these um shelter in place drills, these, um active shooter drills, these, because that's traumatizing to me, so I I can't imagine it being to children and we're doing this youngest, preschool and elementary.
Speaker 1:I had read an article I talked about last week is that one of the children had a conversation with his father and said Dad, don't buy me light-up sneakers anymore. Now the kid loved light-up sneakers. First day of school great, we got some light-up sneakers and he's like you love light-up. First day of school great, we got some light up school and he's like you love light up sneakers. Why don't you want light up sneakers? Because the shooter's gonna find me and kill me and my friends five years old. So tell, I just got chills again with that.
Speaker 1:So tell me one how do you feel about what's going on with the school shooting and and the drills? I know you guys had app trainers and things like that. How do you feel about that? And what we as parents can kind of do to prepare our kids so that it's not a shocker when they come to school and have to do these? I remember just fire drills and that was scary enough. That was loud and annoying and we had to go outside at one time with no coat on. That was my biggest issue, but now it's a whole different thing. So can you talk to us a little bit about your experience as a teacher and I know that was heavy, of what I just hit you with.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm like hold on now, but I think I got it. So I'll first say that, just looking on different news, it's scary, Like as a teacher, like it is scary. It's scary Like it's as a teacher, like it is scary Like I know that my life is on the line for these children. And that's okay, because I love what I do Right. My life is on the line, so if anybody was to ever come and do anything, I know I need to be the first person to step forward.
Speaker 1:Okay, yeah.
Speaker 2:That's. That's how we're taught. You got to be the first person to step forth. And that's okay. As far as practicing drills, we do do that monthly. I know with my kids we have to like try to find something to keep them like quiet, because they talk a lot.
Speaker 1:Right, I was like how you get a kindergarten and I tell them every time I'm like yo, if somebody came up to this school, we done they.
Speaker 2:I was like how you get a kindergarten? And I tell them every time I'm like yo, if somebody came up to this school, we done they. Finding us, they coming back on the door, they know we in here and it's over, we done Be quiet.
Speaker 2:And they be like what you mean, ms Hurley? I'm like you have to be quiet, like this is the time let's play the quiet game. Like think, like they like playing games and video games. So I'm like, okay, let me make this into a game. So I know we just practiced. We had our fire drill the other day and they did pretty good, you know, they were quiet getting down the steps and all of that. But we have not done the, you know, and I am like how that? And frantic like, because how in the world am I going to get all of these children to be quiet when they don't even be quiet while I'm teaching? So a teacher last week said something that she does in the morning when they come in they do a game of hide and seek.
Speaker 1:Yeah, she's teaching elementary as well. She's a kindergarten.
Speaker 2:And they do hide and seek. She's teaching elementary as well.
Speaker 1:She's a kindergarten, she's not a kindergarten. Yeah, and they do hide and seek. You know what hit me? What she said was when she first come in a class before her kids whatever they're looking for a place, she's looking for where her kids are going to hide. Yeah, that's so crazy.
Speaker 2:Like you got to walk in.
Speaker 1:So then, in the beginning of the class, that's what they do.
Speaker 2:She prepares them, just in case. Yeah, that's scary, it's very scary, it's just. It is because then it's like okay, I have so many students, what if my classroom is not big enough, right, what if they're in the open or my window is just slightly open that they can peek in and see, yeah, or what?
Speaker 1:if one of my kids are so scared, crying because they don't know what's going on, and now I have to be the comforter, but also yeah that's a lot to think about and I think that one of those things that we as parents we don't really know because we're not in the school. So how do we prepare? So that's one of the other reasons parental involvement is important, to have a relationship with the teacher so that you know, even doing a drill, you can say, hey, such and such didn't do too well in the drill, they had some problems or whatever. Because I know my one of my daughters, they want to test my inner gains. That's surprising enough. They're not like fire drills or those active drills. She really had a hard time.
Speaker 1:So I will always know what I, what we, what we had in the plan is that for them to let me know when they're going to do these drills so that I can prepare her too, um, so that it's not a whole big thing and technically, like you really don't want to do that, but if you know a kid who is so frightened from it and that is really, uh, traumatic for them, like having that conversation. So the teachers were like on the calendar, such and such, you know, and that worked out really well through elementary for her, um, but yeah, but it's scary though.
Speaker 2:So I feel like as far as like a plan for parents, like just educate your children on it at least that's the least speaking to them about it, like educate them on it, let them know what it is, let them know it could be anybody like it's not just it could be anybody to come into your school.
Speaker 2:it could be anybody to come into your school, it can be anybody to come on that field while you guys are at a gate, like right where anything can happen at any time, so just educate them Um, have a plan at home like make a plan for your family Like just like we when I was younger, we did. If you got caught in a fire, stop dropping roll. Make a plan for me meet at the tree over there, that's what I'm saying, like make it, make a plan to for you and your children, that way they know when they come to school oh, I practice this at home.
Speaker 2:or my mom or dad told me about this. Then they're a little more educated and it's not like they're just looking at me like what, what are we doing?
Speaker 1:What are you talking about?
Speaker 2:I'm scared.
Speaker 1:And now there's my tears. Yeah, because most parents, a lot of parents they watch the news. The kids hear the news, like these kids are listening, right, so they know. The kids know what's going on, um, and I think that's so important to educate them so that it's not something shocking or new to them. And I think one of the things that I hear from a lot of parents, though, is that it's too painful to talk about, it's too scary to talk about. I don't want to scare my kid, but I think ignoring it, Right, you should be the one introducing it to them.
Speaker 2:To be the one you should be introducing it to them.
Speaker 1:I don't care because they don't want to bring up thoughts that they may not have already had, but I think ignoring it it's a red flag. Yeah, ignorance doesn't serve anyone.
Speaker 1:no, especially our children absolutely you said no, don't leave you to just do it. I need a partnership, like, because I'm thinking like you got like 30 kids in your class and you trying to do all this, and then you have this, um, because we know like, even, and when we talk about this shooter stuff, like it happens in colleges, but most of it is happening through K-12. So that's why it's so important to be like really having a conversation we just seen last week.
Speaker 2:This week. It just happened in William Penn it was reported oh yesterday. Matter of fact, yesterday. So it's just like, even if you see something, you know what is your conversation with your child when they see something like that in school, yeah, because you want. The whole thing about school is making it a safe place. Right A safe environment for them to learn Like they want to feel safe when they're learning.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:I want to feel safe when I'm teaching.
Speaker 1:I was going to say they want to feel safe when they're learning. Right, I want to feel safe when I'm teaching. I was going to say you want to feel, you want to be able to go home to your family, you want to be able to go Absolutely, yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 2:So, really, and back to those conversations that you have around the kids. Absolutely yeah, Like right they bullies they bullying?
Speaker 1:wow. So, basically, as we, as we wrap this thing up, um, we really need to be as parents, we need to be intentional, we need to really take the time out and understand what our purpose is in raising our children. Our children are. Our children are gifts. Yes, how do you handle a gift? Basically like, how, how would you want to handle that gift? Especially, these gifts are very fragile, right? So what are we doing to pour into the lives of our children? And if we don't know how to handle a gift, you kind of go back to the maker and try to figure out how I need to do this, right, go back to the maker and also go back to some of our old Parenting With A Purpose seasons and episodes, because we are here to help, give resources, to give you that knowledge, to give you that information.
Speaker 2:We have this platform so you can ask questions, so we can get the proper resources getting certain people on the show to talk about real life situations. So when we're speaking about Parenting with a Purpose, getting teachers, getting law enforcement, whether they're parents, they play the role of a parent, whatever it may be. We are putting these things out here to help not just ourselves but our community and the world as a whole. This is very important to us. So even with this segment tonight not even feeling like we're trying to beat up on the parents or anything, but really laying, laying the mat out of what it is we have a teacher right here who's letting us know help me, to help you be a better parent, so I can be that better teacher, so we can have better children, so our world can be a really be a better place absolutely.
Speaker 1:yeah, I agree that was beautiful Pam. No, it's so serious because when you look at. Every time something happens with our children, the first thing they say is where were the parents? What was going on with the parents? And a lot of times we see in community resources we see so many resources for our children right, so that our children can have extracurricular activities so they don't get into A and c, but at the same time, what tools are we giving the parents?
Speaker 1:yeah, so that they can parent. Probably I don't believe in that somebody should come and step in and parent for you. I think that we should help each other parent to the best of our ability, so I need to be able to give you tools and resources and partner with you so that you so your child can be successful.
Speaker 1:Because you know, sometimes I hear a lot when parents, when people say, well, my kid can go to abc because they can't talk to me. Well, first of all, if your kid can't talk to me, that's to talk to you, that's a concern for me. I'm not coming in to be your child's superhero. That's not what we're doing. What we're going to do is figure out how we could work together and communicate the better parenting, because, at the end of the day, our children are our responsibility. They are, and if we don't know how to do, if you don't know how to do something at your job, you're gonna ask for help.
Speaker 1:If you don't know how to make some money you're gonna go figure it out.
Speaker 2:So, as a parent, it's okay to ask for help and I know a lot of us have built up these walls, especially parents in my generation like I'm not asking nobody for anything and you know, kind of like a nonchalant attitude because when you were told no at that place where you were in your life, so you feel like, oh, I'm just not going to ask for anything. Like don't hinder, don't do your child a disservice by continuing to feed. Feed that, um, what is it Like? Feed that thing that you resist that wound.
Speaker 1:Yes, that wound, that wound, that wound, you feel me.
Speaker 2:You're being that storm and that rain to them for no reason. They don't deserve it. So again, we're here. Come, get connected and be a part of our community, because what we don't know, we're willing to to get it for you as well as we're willing to get it for ourselves yeah and I do want to say too like always, it's something like with pride with parents, and it's like they don't put their pride aside and they don't ask for help.
Speaker 2:So I say do ask for help, because when you ask for help, you get those services that your child needs and it helps me in the classroom. Right, it's a weight off my shoulder, it's a load that has been lifted when I get those extra services to help me in the classroom.
Speaker 1:Yeah it's a smooth ride Right, you ain't got to be embarrassed. You ain't got to be embarrassed.
Speaker 2:You ain't got to put no pride aside, Because at the end of the day again, we want our children to be successful?
Speaker 1:Yes, so whatever we got to do as parents, you know, put the pride aside, put the shame aside or whatever. I know a lot of parents who deal with child with, like ADHD, add, any type of disorder, and they don't want to get the help because they don't want the stigma behind it.
Speaker 2:But let me tell you something.
Speaker 1:You behind it. But let me tell you something you're doing more of a disservice, not helping your child than helping them, absolutely because you, as a parent, our job is to make sure that our kids get the proper resources. Yes, so again, we here at parenting with a purpose, we love you guys, we love talking to you guys. And again, um, follow us on uh facebook, follow us on instagram, um follow us on youtube, just follow us and stay connected. So again. So if there is something that you want us to talk about that we have not delved into, we definitely will bring a conversation. So we thank you tonight, riel, because you really opened up like this huge conversation. That should actually be continued, because we, as parents, don't really know what the teachers feel like or what they have to go through.
Speaker 2:We only know what we only know, absolutely so thank you.
Speaker 1:I think that you you opened up eyes, even though my kids aren't as young anymore, but it really opened up my eyes to be able to communicate with other parents, to know what you guys are dealing with. Yeah, so we certainly appreciate you taking the time and keeping it real. Yes, absolutely. On parenting with a purpose again, thank you guys for joining us with parenting with a purpose tonight. I am your host, donna janelle, and I'm your co-host, pamela, and we look forward to seeing you back here thursday night for our next uh topic. Uh, what is our next topic, though? We were, uh, I think we kind of still need to do this school thing a little bit and and also adding digital into it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, digital, because that's a whole other topic. But whatever it is we're going to be talking about next week, trust me, you're going to get it, you're going to love it, you're going to get an eye open, change some of our thinking as parents of what really is going on in the world. So again, we thank you guys for joining Parent with a purpose. You guys have a great day.
