The Miraculous Morning That Started with 'What About School?' - How Short-Term Attendance Fosters Emotional Growth

It is okay if days go by where you cannot go to school. How to nurture a heart that values small steps.

Waking up in the morning and going to school. For many people, this might seem like a matter of course. However, for some children, that step is actually very difficult.

"I think I'll try going for the first and second periods today."

"Wow! That's amazing!"

It is within conversations like that where great growth and courage are hidden. This time, I will talk about the joy when a child who couldn't go to school manages to go "just a little bit," and how we should accept those small steps.

A conversation I had with my child one morning.

"What are you going to do about school?"

"I'm going for the first and second periods."

The moment I heard that answer, a smile spilled out before I could help it.

"Wait, the first period? Oh my goodness! That's amazing! That's so great!"

(Of course, they still haven't made it to the classroom, but even so, Mom is overjoyed.)

A child who previously found it difficult to go to school in the morning decided to go, even if just a little.

Because I know how big of a step that courage is, I want to give them a round of applause from the bottom of my heart.

It is okay not to go to school "all day."

"I managed to go for a little bit"—that in itself is already amazing.

Because I know the days they couldn't go, I believe that not missing that small change and telling them "You did great" or "You worked hard" is what leads to the next step.

I sometimes wonder, if I had treated them with my current mindset on that morning years ago when they cried so hard at school, would it not have dragged on for so long?

For a child, "being able to go to school" is not the only goal. Being able to feel "safe," "accepted," and that it is "okay to proceed at your own pace" is what is truly important. That is why what parents and adults around them can do is find those small steps,

and celebrate those steps with all your heart!!

Continuing to stay close and say, 'It's okay.' ᐠ( ᐢ ᵕ ᐢ )ᐟ

It might just come down to these three things.

Any pace is fine, isn't it?

Today's 'just a little bit' might lead to 'I was able to go properly' in the future, and even if it doesn't, it will become a strength in that child's life.

Just being able to think about going outside is amazing.
Just being able to enter the school building is amazing.

Without forgetting that feeling, I want to continue supporting the child's journey.

Quotes that resonated with my heart ᐡ ̳ᴗ ̫ ᴗ ̳ᐡ♡

'A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.'Author: Laozi (Chinese philosopher)

No matter how big the goal, it starts with the first small step. This is a quote that teaches us that even being able to go to school for just one hour is a magnificent step that leads to the future.

Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.
Author: Robert Collier (American author)
Accumulating small things is the only way to reach incredible places.
Author: Ichiro (Former professional baseball player)

There is no need to aim for perfection all at once. By continuing little by little, the future will change. These are words that show us that even if the time spent at school was short, that accumulation is what is truly important.

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