Checking In

We are a little over a year in to this global pandemic.

How are you?

How is your family?

It hasn’t been easy for anyone, everyone has had to chart new territory, find a new normal and learn a new way of juggling everything.

Anyone who says it was easy would be lying.

It was hard, it was scary, and it was agonizing.

I don’t know about you, but I feel like even though we still have a ways to go, we’ve made it to this point, and I am grateful.

I’d like to talk about the things I have learned/ discovered as an occupational therapist over the last year and some ideas for moving forward.

Here goes.

Things I Have Learned

1.Kids are survivors. They made it through just as we did.

2. EVERYONE is “behind”. I keep seeing news stories talking about the “year lost” when it comes to education and learning. Hello? We are ALL behind, and I don’t even think kids are “behind”. I think they adjusted and survived, just like the rest of us. Teaching and learning wasn’t ideal for anyone so we are moving forward from similar places.

3. Number 2 being said, the light shining on educational disparities is much brighter due to this pandemic. I have seen the disparities first hand since I became an occupational therapist almost 20 years ago, and with the glaring spotlight on the disparities now, I am hopeful real change will come about.

4. Occupational therapy is a key and critical service in times like these. I often think people forget the power of occupational therapists. There is so much we can do!

5. Mental health MUST be a priority for kids and adults a like. This was a really hard year. We all acknowledge it, but we MUST do something about it. Just because kids are resilient, doesn’t mean they don’t need help. There is no way anyone came out of the last year unaffected by this global pandemic. We really need to pay attention, step up, and make sure there’s help.

A Path Forward

Ideas and Suggestions for Moving Forward

Here are some ideas and suggestions about how to move forward.

1.Prioritize working with our kids on where they are, not on trying to “catch them up”.

2. Utilize occupational therapist to address a variety of needs, we are here to help.

3. Address the mental health of students (and over the long term).

4. Don’t just acknowledge and talk about educational disparities, take action and do something about it. Fund schools, build a better technology infrastructure, rethink programs that are not working, pay teachers higher wages.

5. Be kind. We’ve all done the best we can. This is a once in a lifetime global pandemic that no one knew/knows how to navigate.

Lastly, keep wearing your mask, social distance and wash your hands.

Until next time,