Family
I noted in my agenda at the beginning of summer to theme this blog post around ‘Family’. The reason for that decision was rooted more in a personal than a professional place. In June I had finally managed to confirm a trip to Israel to visit my own family for vacation time I had cancelled in April of 2020. They were on my mind.
I returned to the office after a three week vacation meant to reconnect with my niece and nephews. The August spaces to fill in my calendar meant the start of planning for fall programming. My first experience with this was an afternoon I spent with community partners focused on family outreach and programming. Hiding from strong summer sunlight, we bent over notebooks brainstorming activities to spark family conversations during and after an upcoming Hispanic Heritage Month program. With my own mind fully immersed in Division of Extension’s JUNTOS programming, I centered my book choice on one that would highlight empowerment and success in a variety of interests/career fields.
“But, you know,” my colleague began. “My past programs. When I talk to families. They always thank me for highlighting elements of their traditions and culture. They tell me it makes it easier to talk to their kids about those experiences, since they ignore them growing up in the U.S.”
I leaned back in my chair. I felt the sharp flash of sun and shifted myself back under the shade facing my colleague. “So, it’s both. And, for the books, maybe one that highlights each kind so families can choose.”
“Uhmmhmm,” she nodded in agreement.
At its foundation, I again realized that the idea of family remains very much the center of professional hours. Why? Because, our families and caretakers provide for us what my programming is designed to enhance: capacity building, relationship development and community connection.
Upon my return to the U.S., I repeated the same answer to many family and friends who asked, “How was your trip?”
“It is unrealistic to have two years of gap easily squeezed into two weeks. It was. This trip I found my niece’s personality distinct from the girl I knew two years ago. Neither my previous interactions with her nor my professional benchmarks increased my feelings of success. My brother also told me, “It’s been worse this past year. Since they’ve been at home so much.”
A second key piece of the back to school programming lens is supporting families (youth and adult relationships) post COVID. While I had read articles and attended webinars, I hadn’t met the reality of personality shifts until my family vacation, nor had I felt as helpless. Again, centering family experiences, recenters not only professional priorities, but the emotional weight not of what definitions of success and failures ARE like, but what they FEEL like.
The Resources provided here for this fall 2021 blog post are meant to center family and balance the same programming framework now being built over a shifted foundation. In contrast to previous blog posts, I will be adding as fall progresses and the audiences using the resources interact and contribute to them.
Resources
As a jumpstart, I always recommend the University of Minnesota Extension. Here is a link to their most recent newsletter and training opportunities. https://www3.thedatabank.com/dpg/449/pm.asp?id=86033&nav=1&aacwc=371564495659815086033282963128%20target=
Libraries are wonderful places to engage families, youth and adults, together. We are proud to be developing an event with community partners in the county in several sites to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. The month long celebration is open. Play all month long https://www.facebook.com/media/set?vanity=HedbergPublicLibrary&set=a.10158933748974442
A team of colleagues is currently working to support the transition back to school for youth and families. Key themes include how to build relationships with youth, adapting to change, how to build resiliency in youth, planning for self-care. As we build these out, I will add links here. For a great start, check out the previous Division of Extension series, “Raising Caring Kids”. For some initial background as adults and how to unpack what is happening to us before supporting youth, here are a series of videos https://www.neurosequential.com/covid-19-resources. Also, back to school has traditionally been an important time to address youth mental health. Here is a recommended resource https://www.thementalhealthcoalition.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/MHC-Saks-Roadmap-BTS.pdf
Ask youth. It’s a great place to start. You can listen to this podcast created by Youth2YOuth4Change here in Rock County! https://anchor.fm/y2y4c/episodes/Lets-talk-mental-health-e192ekl If you need more vocabulary about how to describe what you or youth in your life are experiencing, check out this article on “languishing” or register for a mental health first aid training.
