Support for Monday: Dealing With Reality

Dear Exchange Community,

The early childhood field has been hit hard these past months. We at Exchange have seen your courage and resilience, and we also know that some days are just extremely hard.

As another Monday begins, we recognize that we will all face still more challenges and still more changes. If you’re sometimes discouraged, you’re not alone.

We want to offer some ideas that we hope might help. These come from colleagues throughout the Exchange community:

1. At the end of each day, when you feel very tired, remind yourself, “I’m tired because I’ve really been of service to others today.”
2. When you need to make a complex decision, ask yourself, “What is the most loving choice I can make in this hard circumstance?” Then, with that guidance, make your decision and do not second guess yourself.
3. When embarking on difficult conversations, begin by acknowledging, “This is not easy for any of us. We must just do our best in this challenging time.”
4. Stay grounded in your pride for what you do. You do not need others’ permission to feel proud of your work. Eleanor Roosevelt said: “Remember no one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”
5. Don’t expect perfection. Allow yourself to have down days or non-productive times.
6. Be strict with yourself about “working time” and “not working time.” When you’re not working, that also means you aren’t worrying about work either.
7. Talk to people who truly understand what you are experiencing.
8. Remind yourself that you have strength of heart.
9. Find at least one moment of joy each day.
10. Remember: As we demonstrate our ability to meet challenges with courage, we help children believe they will be able to do the same when their time comes someday.

We send our admiration, love and heartfelt support to each one of you,
Nancy Rosenow, Exchange Publisher, and the entire Exchange Team

For more information about Exchange's magazine, books, and other products pertaining to ECE, go to www.ccie.com.

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