Their Birthright

I attended our 3rd Graders' First Holy Communion  and as they were lining up for the processional, one of them said to me, "Ma'am Bea, you look beautiful." Now I think what she meant was that she rarely sees me in clothing other than my usual functional fitness garb when I facilitate their functional movement exercises for their P.E. class.  This time I was wearing a sleeveless pencil-cut dress,  two-inch heels and light make-up on. My heels were killing me and I felt as if somebody just put straps around my body making it hard to breathe, ha! But I digress. After I told her that she was prettier than me with her exquisite white veil, white dress, sparkling white shoes and sparkly eye make-up,  another girl then asked, "Ma'am Bea will we have games?" I laughingly replied, "No,  not this time my dear. Next week we'll have games. Now go and have at it with your First Communion. "

When these kids were Grade 2, they were one of the first batches who experienced the functional fitness program Andro, the teachers and I implemented last school year. Now that they are in third grade and in the other campus, they seldom see me. When I do get a chance to go to their campus, they approach me and greet,  "Ma'am Bea,  we miss you!"  Some of them immediately run to me wordless wrapping their arms around my waist in a tight embrace.

Play and Movement.  These two cannot be undermined nor overstated. The one-hour-a- week of jumping, crawling, running, honest- to-goodness, sweat-your-heart-out play  clearly is something that is very important and memorable for them, something that causes their eyes to light up when they see me. Even during their regular classes, we've integrated movement into their subject discussions. Creativity goes far and wide, above and beyond. And injecting play into a particular subject lesson creates wonders in learning. Think efficiency and better retention and understanding.

My heart is light knowing that every time I go see them in their classrooms I will be greeted with so much positive energy and enthusiasm. Not because of who I am and my position in school. But because perhaps we have given them something not unlike a present to unwrap, and come to think of it, that which has been and is their birthright all along.  Perhaps we have given them back the gift of childhood, letting them BE kids, which rightfully they are,  of which real play and movement (Call me old-fashioned but sorry, tablets, iPads and computer games do not count here.), is of the essence. 

We have a saying in the vernacular, "Basta duwa gani, malipay gyud ang mga bata. Mabaw ra na sila ug kalipay." When it comes to play, children become happy. Very little is needed to make them happy. True. Play is where children thrive. And when they are happy they learn better. On this note I can't help but ask the question, "What if we as parents realize what this really means? What if we too let our kids be kids, let them play and more importantly play with them? " Again,  creativity is limitless and no amount of excuses can hinder such for those of us who truly understand what our children need. Imagine the wonderful possibilities that can occur when we do this. We build a strong bond with our children, a relationship that allows them to know themselves better, explore the world around them, know us (their parents) better. And the values and life lessons we teach them will be better embraced and understood and  more deeply rooted.   After all is not parenting a teaching-learning endeavor as well?  But more than that is not parenting all about love? And what would we not do for the people we love?

I do not claim to be an expert at parenting or teaching. But here's what I do know: There are constantly better ways of parenting and teaching our kids. I believe that now more than ever, in a world where most of us have become dependent on technology, prioritizing instant gratification and a sedentary lifestyle, play and movement are better ways of parenting and teaching our children. And again, for those we love and the things we love to do, what would we not do to be better and do better? Even as better means simply letting them be who and what they are meant to be and do-- children who play and move.

I watched as the third graders gracefully held their candles, walked down the center aisle of the church and received their communion rites for the very first time, I closed my eyes and smile. Even as I doubt my place in this world, even as I ask myself everyday, "Have I made a difference in this life? Have I become a better person, teacher? Have I done better?" the answers come at the most laughable and unexpected moments, sometimes in a form of a question thrown in the middle of a serious school event such as the First Holy Communion Rites, "Ma'am Bea will we have games today?"

“Movement is life. Life is a process. Improve the quality of the process and you improve the quality of life itself.”

-Moshe Feldenkrai, Israeli physicist and the founder of the Feldenkrais Method, designed to improve human functioning by increasing self-awareness through movement.