Recently I was reading Seth Godin's new book The Icarus Deception:How High Will You Fly? and I came across a story that I thought was perfect at this time of the year when thoughts turn to the new school year and parents wonder how things will play out, and whether or not they should act. Some parents are preparing their advocacy efforts and will be proactive, others will teeter, not sure whether they should speak up.
Perhaps the story of the Kitten and the Monkey might help you decide.
As Godin explains
When a kitten gets in trouble, its mother picks it up by the scruff of the neck, rescuing him and taking him to safety.
When a kitten gets in trouble, its mother picks it up by the scruff of the neck, rescuing him and taking him to safety.
A baby monkey on the other hand has no choice but to grab onto the back of its mother if he wants to escape.
One is rescued. The other rescues himself.
The monkey is being proactive. It 'saves' itself. It makes the choice to act and the outcome depends on it choosing to act. The alternative for the monkey is to remain in the less-than-ideal situation it finds itself in.
The kitten waits for someone to notice and act for it. It hands over its power, leaving itself at the whim of others.
Our cultural instinct is to wait to be noticed, or picked, or rewarded, rather than to stand up and draw attention, particularly with regard to schooling. But it is OK to choose to take action, to be proactive.
When school resumes you can decide whether the education your child is delivered meets their needs, or not. Chances you will have a good idea by the end of the first days of the school year. You can decide whether to wait for someone to notice it isn't working so well.
Or you can decide to be proactive and change the course of events.
You can choose to be the monkey. Or the kitten.
The outcomes will depend on your choice.
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