|
|
BY TOYA DOWNS
JUNE/JULY 2010
It’s 4:30 on a Wednesday afternoon, and I’ve just exited the Gene Snyder onto Brownsboro Road hoping not to get caught by a string of red lights and slow drivers. I breathe a sigh of relief that I have made it to the bus stop before my baby steps her foot onto the empty parking lot.
“Hi, Mommy!” Nayya says, and for a moment, I bask in the residual love dust she leaves behind with each smile and funny gesture. But back to reality; I have a team meeting for one of my classes in 15 minutes, and attendance is mandatory. Again, I’m off, whizzing through traffic jams and meddling drivers captivated by the accident on the opposite side of the road.
Today, the groups’ challenge is to manipulate time or defy the odds of procrastination! Until now, none of us has brainstormed any ideas for our project. We have a little over 12 hours before the deadline, and by-golly, we’ve all saved our prayers like pennies for that shiny miracle in the store window. Each time one person thinks of an idea, it’s quickly eliminated by another idea, which is eventually rejected too.
“That’s too simple…”
“That’ll take too long…”
“What is that!?”
This cycle continues for a while. Finally, a small voice from the corner says, “Why don’t you . . . ”
The time my daughter and I spend together as a family is created by circumstance. I am a single mother, student, community worker-bee, and volunteer at her school. Instead of stressing over who will babysit while I attend meetings, I take her with me and use each occasion as a learning lesson.
She’s helping me greatly as I practice for the Graduate Readiness Exam (GRE). She calls out words, I try giving the answer, and she tells me if I’m right or wrong. Also, I teach her things I’ve learned, and it becomes a two-way benefit: I talk myself through new material, increasing my familiarity with the information, and she gains knowledge about subjects she would otherwise not have a clue about. We have unofficial scheduled time.
Although my group did not use my daughter’s first idea that day, when she began to participate it quickly cultivated more creativity. In the end, what we presented was a potpourri of contributions from 12 college seniors and a fourth grader. The group received an “A” and my daughter received honorary mention. She experienced adults working together as a team, which gave credibility to some lessons I’ve taught her about respect for others. And she witnessed Mommy learning too.
We accomplished all this without compromising the quality of time we spend together or our respective responsibilities — her homework and mine. She had a great time, plus I saved the cost of a babysitter and transportation. What a deal!
Toya Downs is owner of Lovely You (image consultant and personal shopper) and a full-time student at UofL. She and daughter Nayya (10) live in the Westport Road area. This is her first essay for Today’s Family.
|
|
