Many parents often ask me how they can help their child at home. Our more traditional educational backgrounds likely bring forth visions of homework at the kitchen table. When I offer suggestions to read to your child every night, to play with them, to take a nature walk, or to throw a ball in the back yard, the looks vary from disappointed to relieved. Whatever your reaction, you may be interested in this homework assignment, especially as you reflect on your family’s evening or morning routines. 

Sometime we can find ourselves doing FOR our children when we could do WITH our children. Maybe the task is one they can do completely on their own. And yet our mornings or evenings might be stressful and challenging. While it is normal to want to do things for our children, doing so can rob our children of valuable practice of important life skills that impact their ability and willingness to contribute.  Your homework assignment is this: Take the freedom (and responsibility) to step back and allow your children to become capable, independent people. 

Did you know that ALL of our students (yes the 18 month olds and the 11 year olds) wash dishes, put their things away in their cubbies, clear the table, wipe down tables, fold laundry, and help younger children do things? Our students ages 5 and older all have daily responsibilities in the classroom, and most of them are eager to participate. Of course they need a little guidance and a little check here and there, but they get the job done. And as I watch these activities in action, I am encouraged by the sense of pride and accomplishment I see on their faces when they have finished. These minor tasks are laying the foundation for their future work ethic and willingness to contribute to a larger group.

So how do you begin? I recommend starting with morning and evening routines that contribute to more peace and less tension during these key times of day. When I talk about them in our house, I use the word “responsibilities” rather than “chores,” probably because the word “chore” for me feels like drudgery. The key is to talk about these activities in a positive way that indicates the work is valued and important for everyone in your family. You can find a list of age-appropriate activities here.

1. Set expectations. For toddlers and three year olds, often an “after dinner, you get to come and help Mommy/Daddy with_____” is all you need. For older children, discussing starting routines and what will be on the list at the dinner table is a good way to start. Offer the positives such as making the morning/evening more peaceful, getting more time together, etc. Let them know when they will start.
2. Start with a short list of activities. Younger children can typically do two or three activities. Older children could manage more after they get used to a routine. Morning activities might include getting dressed, brushing teeth, and putting the lunch box and water bottle in the car. Evening activities might be to pick out clothes for school, brush teeth, choose a book to read before bed. For those with pets, children LOVE to feed the animals. Make that one theirs!
3. Post a visual cue for what they need to do, and list activities in order. For young ones, use pictures with limited words on a board or piece of paper. Second graders and up can work from a posted list. Maybe post one near the bedroom/bathroom and one in the kitchen or on the door leading to the car.
4. Show them how to do each thing on the list (in context – not when you set expectations). The younger the child, the more they may want or need you to be with them. Brush teeth together. Maybe make the bed while your very young child puts on their clothes (without your help for primary students). Have older children check in with you after they have completed some or all of the list. The check in is a way to hold them accountable.
5. Let them perform at their own level. Know that they will not do things as an adult would and having it perfect is not the point. Give your child the opportunity to practice and they will not only become more independent, but will also improve how they do over time. They will also start to be aware of where they can improve and ask for your help to show them what they are seeking to get better at.
6. Reflect and discuss the benefits as a family. Talking in the car on the way to school about how helpful it is for your children to participate in the morning routine validates your child’s hard work and provides a positive feedback look. Being excited that there is time to read two books together instead of one because everyone is pitching in shows them the benefit of their hard work.
7. Grow or change the list a bit. As your children manage their responsibilities with ease, they become daily habits and can do a little more.

While all of this takes a bit of work to get started, including quite a bit of reminding over the first week or two, imagine the time it saves you and the skills it teaches your child once the ball is rolling. If you stay calm and positive through a possibly rough beginning, you will ask yourself why you didn’t do this sooner. Sympathize with your child that getting out the door in the morning can be tough but assure them (and yourself) it will get easier. Children rise to expectations when the bar is reasonable, they have support in meeting them, they can mess up while learning without negative consequences, and they feel validated in their work. Celebrate the successes regularly through love instead of rewards.

All children are capable at a very young age of doing things for themselves and others. What is more, they WANT to help from a very young age (from toddler through four or five years old) without tangible rewards or the threat of consequences. Their reward comes from the sense of accomplishment and your feedback that they are an important part of your family community. As they get older, they may be less eager, but they are more capable and feel rewarded in the same way.  Having expectations that our children contribute to the family as a normal part of their day to day activities develops our child’s skills, helps him or her feel valued within a social group, and naturally leads to children who look for ways to help both at home and outside the home. Mayan parents in Mexico and Guatemala (among other cultures) expect children to contribute and doing so has long-term benefits that you can read about here. I have a friend who explains it to her children as “doing their part” – being part of a community means we all share in the work and the benefits such as easier work and free time together that collaboration brings. I can’t wait to check in with our students in a few weeks to see how they have been helping out and, making your world a better place. 

The United Nations declared the International Day of Peace each September as a day devoted to “commemorating and strengthening the ideals of peace both within and among all nations and peoples.”  As the upper elementary students gear up for the International Day of Peace and the IMS Peace Run later this month on September 21 and 22, they set out to learn more about PEACE by interviewing a few special staff members.

Rebecca and Keara Interview Adam Marske

Today we interviewed Adam Marske. He teaches the Spanish Elementary class with Alexandra Zapata.

Keara: This is our first interview and we’re a little nervous. Please let us know if you aren’t comfortable with a question.
Rebecca: What’s your favorite animal? (This is a warm-up question) Adam: My favorite animal is the golden retriever.

Rebecca: What does peace mean to you?
Adam: To me it means to forgive others easily, to find calmness in the midst of difficulty, when there is equality and no war.

Keara: Do you have any ideas of how we can celebrate the International Day of Peace?
Adam: I like how we have done it in the past – the whole school gets together outside. It would be neat to celebrate how other people are helping to bring big changes and peace.

Rebecca: You ran in the IMS Peace Run last year. Are you planning a rematch?
Adam: Yes, I am!

---

Luke and Zach Interview Sophie Acquart

Today we interviewed Sophie. She teaches in the French primary class, La Maison [des Enfants].

Zach: What’s your favorite animal?
Sophie: My favorite animal is the black panther

Luke: What does peace mean to you?
Sophie: It means a quiet, safe, friendly environment.

Zach: Do you have any ideas of how we can celebrate the International Day of Peace?
Sophie: By being together and singing a song and talking to each other about what peace means to us.

Luke: Do you know about the IMS Peace Run? Are you coming?
Sophie: I did not know about it!

---

Raphi and Eva Interview Cathy Constantine

Today we interviewed Cathy. She is the Lower Elementary English teacher.

Raphi: What is your favorite color?
Cathy: My favorite color is purple.

Eva: What do you do at IMS?
Cathy: I have fun teaching!

Raphi: What does peace mean to you?
Cathy: Peace is a feeling within yourself.

Eva: Do you have any ideas of how we can celebrate the International Day of Peace?
Cathy: Every day should be an International Day of Peace. I like to celebrate with poetry and songs.

Raphi: Do you know about the IMS Peace Day Run? Are you going?
Cathy: Yes, maybe I’ll come.

---

Blake and Gabriel Interview Charmie Subasinghe

Today we interviewed Charmie. She is the daily toddler teacher.

Blake: We’re a little nervous because this is our first interview. Please tell us if you aren’t comfortable with a question.
Gabriel: What languages do you speak? What is your husband’s name?
Blake: That’s too personal!
Charmie: It’s OK, Blake. My husband’s name is Ushan. I speak English and Sinhala (a language of Sri Lanka).

Gabriel: What does peace mean to you?
Charmie: Peace is inside yourself.

Blake: Do you have any ideas of how we can celebrate the International Day of Peace?
Charmie: Since at IMS we do a lot of work on making peace, students could help spread peace by exchanging letters, cards, or poems with other students around the world.

Blake: Are you going to our Peace Day Run at the new school?
Charmie: Yes, I’m planning to!

This exciting school-wide event is just around the corner and we have a lot planned for IMS family and friends! This year our theme is “International Music & the Arts” and we are thrilled to welcome two special musical performances featuring a couple of our very own IMS parents: Ismo One and the Bulltown Strutters!  Ismo One is an established hip hop recording artist from Niger and the Bulltown Strutters are a beloved local New-Orleans style band who will also be leading kids and kids at heart in a parade!  Learn more about them here.

Kids will enjoy activities with BullCity Craft, Soccer Shots as well as facepainting, fairy hair, pinatas, games, a Cake Walk and more!  There will be a small silent auction for parents, featuring baskets donated by each classroom.  Taste Around the World will have samples of food from around the globe, made and donated by IMS families…please consider donating a dish and sharing a bit of your culture with the school!

Your children will be learning about different countries and cultures in the upcoming weeks.  Elementary students will be preparing projects that will be presented in the week of the festival (details TBA), as well as displayed for all to enjoy on April 26th. We look forward to seeing our IMS families (past, present and future) for an evening of family fun! 

Cost: $10/adult, $5/child or $25/family (children 2 and younger free).
Festival Activity/Food Tickets: $1/ticket or $20/25 ticket value pack

Entry includes performances, Taste Around the World and activities such as BullCity Craft and Soccer Shots.  Select food and activities (eg. facepainting, cakewalk, etc) for purchase.

Thank you to all our partners for supporting IMS!

Article by Li Wang, Chinese Elementary Teacher

“今天，我们要给你们讲一个长长的故事，是真的。” （Today, we are going to tell you a long story, it’s a ture story.）

“是《我们的蘑菇》。” (“It’s called ‘Our Mushroom’”.)

“我等一下会教你们这首歌。” ( “We will teach you this song later.”)

At Duke University in the Sociology Psychology 128 classroom, every Friday morning, college students come here to have their Mandarin Chinese class. But this time the class looks different, a group of children from International Montessori School are teaching. They shared their knowledge about mushrooms with Duke University students, gave a group presentation(the long story), and taught them songs. After that, Duke students played games they designed with children. All in Chinese!

“Wait a minute, what’s going on here?” You might ask. Well, I have to say it’s a long story.

In the fall of 2018, a group of children came to the first Chinese Elementary Class in IMS. Guess what they consistently find on the playground, outside of classroom, under the tree, on the grass… ?  Mushrooms! So with information provided by our head of school Angela, our class went to a mushroom farm to learn more about them. The class came back with a bunch of mushrooms ready to grow in class and on campus. The children took good care of them even during weekends and holidays. Classroom lessons and “works” were designed to help children keep learning about these human-friendly fungi; they READ, WRITE, and SING about mushrooms. They GROW, EAT, and SELL mushrooms.

At a certain point, I remembered some events I participated in a few years ago with the Department of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at Duke University. I shared the idea with children that they could visit Duke’s Chinese class. So we started to plan this trip. The children and I worked together, called Xie/Hsieh Loshi from Duke, figured out time and dates that would work for both sides, proposed things we could do, came up with a transportation plan and packing list for the trip, and of course, prepared for teaching the university students all in Chinese.

Then the day came. On March 8th, we got there and the children gave a confident and clear presentation. They taught the Duke students a song they planned. Then they taught another song 《春天在哪里？》 （“Where is spring?”）they just learned because they determined that the university students learned quickly and sang along very well. After that, the Duke students prepared word study activities for our children to learn. They read, wrote, and played games together. Our Duke friends quickly learned the Chinese names of our IMS children. A Duke student gave a short closing speech:“我们很高兴你们今天来。你们的中文很好，我跟你们学了很多东西。谢谢你们！” (“ We are so happy to have you today. Your Chinese is very good, I learned a lot from you. Thank you!”)

A parent said, “I don’t know how to speak Chinese, but it is so wonderful to see how you interact with each other in Chinese.”

Hsieh Laoshi from Duke shared that this class is on the “fast track” for studying Chinese, typically some of them choose Chinese as their major. Both the Duke students and the IMS children have studied Chinese for the same number of years. He commented several times about how well he thought our children spoke Chinese.

Our children, through this year long project, have worked as chefs, farmers, scientists, writers, artists, singers, public speakers, trip planners, storytellers, entrepreneurs, mathematicians and teachers. They were able to appreciate just how much they can accomplish even at their young ages and that they have knowledge to share with others who may be order than they are. Partnerships and experiences like the one between young IMS students and university students at Duke University enrich all of us and impress upon the students the joy and value of sharing and collaboration.
Am I proud of them? Absolutely Yes!  More importantly, I learned so much from our IMS Chinese elementary students and look forward to continued learning together.

Each year we enjoy meeting new friends at our summer camps for 3 year olds* to rising first graders! IMS summer camps are in English although we bring an international perspective to each weeky theme. We have half day, full day and extended day options and welcome all children whether they are enrolled at IMS during the school year or not. So bring a friend and enjoy a week of fun with us this summer!

This Summer’s Themes and Dates

Week 1: June 17-21 Nature Explorers

Week 2: June 24-28 The First Americans

Week 3: July 1-5 Fun and Games from Around the World (no camp July 4th)

Week 4: July 8-12  Messy Camp

Week 5: July 15-19  Science Exploration Camp

Week 6: July 22-26  All Things about Animals

Week 7: July 29 – August 2  Homes from Around the World

Learn more here.

*All campers should be able to use the restroom independently and be out of pull-ups and diapers.