WEBVTT 00:00:03.665 --> 00:00:07.793 Welcome to the Meet Hope podcast, where we have conversations about faith and hope. 00:00:07.793 --> 00:00:14.503 Hope is one church made of people living out their faith through two expressions in person and online. 00:00:14.503 --> 00:00:21.545 We believe a hybrid faith experience can lead to a growing influence in our community and our world for the sake of others. 00:00:23.199 --> 00:00:30.371 Welcome to Hope Hi everyone, welcome to the Meet Hope podcast. 00:00:30.371 --> 00:00:48.948 My name is Ashley Black and I am so excited to be your host for today, and today we have a special episode where we are going to be offering some encouragement to anyone who has a kid going back to school or knows someone going back to school, or maybe as a teacher themselves going back to school. 00:00:48.948 --> 00:01:07.123 That is the special focus of this week's episode, and so if you are a parent, I am sure that you are in the thick of preparing your kid when this episode comes out, and so that is why I am excited to have with us today Talina Ra, who is the assistant director of Tomorrow's Hope preschool, here with us. 00:01:07.123 --> 00:01:08.245 Hi, talina. 00:01:08.266 --> 00:01:09.167 Hi, how are you doing? 00:01:09.227 --> 00:01:10.750 Good Thank you for having me. 00:01:10.750 --> 00:01:12.694 I am so glad that you would do this with me. 00:01:12.694 --> 00:01:21.808 I know that you are very busy getting ready for back to school in your own life and here at Tomorrow's Hope, which is the preschool here at Hope Church. 00:01:21.808 --> 00:01:26.709 But why don't we just start by helping people get to know you a little bit more? 00:01:26.709 --> 00:01:29.207 So would you share a little bit about yourself with us? 00:01:29.983 --> 00:01:30.569 Yeah, sure. 00:01:30.569 --> 00:01:33.828 So I am married to my husband, dan. 00:01:33.828 --> 00:01:38.811 We've been married for 19 years and we have three children. 00:01:38.811 --> 00:01:42.608 My oldest, andrew, is 17. 00:01:42.608 --> 00:01:50.093 Our second, lily, is 14 and she will be a freshman. 00:01:50.093 --> 00:01:56.334 My oldest is going to be a junior and our youngest, gracie, is 10 and she is going to be in fifth grade. 00:01:56.334 --> 00:01:59.224 So that's exciting, you have two high schoolers this year. 00:01:59.486 --> 00:02:16.829 Yes, which absolutely blows my mind, because I have this photo of the both of them coming to Tomorrow's Hope preschool on the first day, and now I think about them going to high school, and it happened so quickly. 00:02:16.829 --> 00:02:20.925 All three of them actually went through Tomorrow's. 00:02:21.026 --> 00:02:21.307 Hope. 00:02:22.401 --> 00:02:38.129 So we've been part of Tomorrow's Hope for a long time, so it has a very special place in my heart, and this fall I'll be switching gears, yeah, so you've been on staff at Tomorrow's Hope for a little while, yeah. 00:02:38.129 --> 00:02:42.270 So I joined Tomorrow's Hope staff in 2018. 00:02:42.270 --> 00:02:51.106 I started off as the toddler circle teacher, which was wonderful I got to meet so many wonderful moms. 00:02:51.740 --> 00:02:53.205 My kid loved toddler circle. 00:02:53.205 --> 00:02:56.807 It was a great way, like you said, to get to know some parents. 00:02:57.521 --> 00:02:58.706 Yes, it was really great. 00:02:58.706 --> 00:03:07.026 It was just neat to see even the moms connect and just how much more it was for the moms as much as for the toddlers. 00:03:07.026 --> 00:03:21.007 And then I taught toddler circle for two years and then COVID hit, so we kind of switched gears and I taught kindergarten the half day kindergarten, which was also a blast. 00:03:21.007 --> 00:03:22.242 I loved that. 00:03:22.242 --> 00:03:33.151 And then I switched gears again and I taught the four-year-old class for two years One of the four-year-old classes, and I'm switching gears again. 00:03:33.400 --> 00:03:34.903 Yeah, that's very exciting. 00:03:34.903 --> 00:03:36.046 Are you excited? 00:03:36.046 --> 00:03:37.229 Yeah, that's great, I am. 00:03:39.723 --> 00:03:43.621 I'm excited, nervous, but mainly excited It'll be. 00:03:43.621 --> 00:03:45.667 I think it'll be fun. 00:03:45.667 --> 00:03:46.930 That's great. 00:03:48.121 --> 00:03:49.385 Yeah, I'm so excited for you. 00:03:49.385 --> 00:03:53.997 So we're going to talk about a couple of things today, but let's start with. 00:03:53.997 --> 00:03:58.229 You mentioned that you're a parent yourself and that you have two high schoolers. 00:03:58.691 --> 00:03:58.790 Yes. 00:03:59.280 --> 00:04:05.568 Almost two high schoolers and a fifth grader, and so how do you feel about the back to school season? 00:04:05.568 --> 00:04:11.270 Are you excited about it because you're an educator, or is it stressful and overwhelming? 00:04:11.270 --> 00:04:13.044 What are your reactions to it? 00:04:14.020 --> 00:04:20.821 I think it's definitely a little of everything Excited, nervous, I think. 00:04:20.821 --> 00:04:37.415 The nervous part I think, which I think a lot of parents can probably relate to, is just a new start, new teachers, new classmates, new classes, and so, you know you, just the anticipation of it all. 00:04:37.415 --> 00:04:40.187 It just kind of makes you feel a little nervous, because you're not. 00:04:40.187 --> 00:04:40.750 You know. 00:04:40.790 --> 00:04:53.269 You hope that everything will be okay and it'll be a good year for your children and I think now with two high schoolers you know, school becomes much more stressful. 00:04:53.269 --> 00:04:58.591 So I think anticipating that makes me feel a bit nervous, and just also the busyness. 00:05:00.343 --> 00:05:02.149 Yeah, I'm wrapping my brain around that. 00:05:02.149 --> 00:05:03.384 Just the schedule change. 00:05:03.620 --> 00:05:16.432 Yeah, I think we love the slow pace, the slow mornings, and then you kind of go onto the rushing and the schedule fills up and just balancing all that is a bit overwhelming. 00:05:16.432 --> 00:05:37.687 But you know, on the flip side too, just excited too, it's a new start and I'm always amazed at how much they grow and they change and they develop more confidence and I just I think just seeing what, you know, what God will bring for them each year is exciting. 00:05:37.687 --> 00:05:43.591 To see what, the, what challenges and how they overcome them is exciting. 00:05:43.860 --> 00:05:51.889 Is there anything that you are really wanting for your kids as they head into school this year, like, is there anything you're hoping for them or praying about for them? 00:05:52.819 --> 00:06:00.454 Yeah, you know, this was something I was thinking about and I think the word peace really came to mind. 00:06:00.454 --> 00:06:16.613 I just I think for me, my prayer for my kids, is that they would feel peace, like true peace, as they go into the year and as they navigate the ups and downs, that you know that that will come. 00:06:16.613 --> 00:06:22.391 I just really hope they feel peace and just connection too. 00:06:22.391 --> 00:06:30.290 I hope they make good connections with their friends, they deepen connections and just healthy relationships. 00:06:30.290 --> 00:06:35.593 So that's really probably at the forefront of my mind. 00:06:35.593 --> 00:06:36.504 That's what I think about. 00:06:37.000 --> 00:06:39.240 Yeah, yeah, um. 00:06:39.240 --> 00:06:51.985 So, and as as we mentioned, so you're a parent and so you've got that like part of your brain working hard right now because you're trying to set your kids up for success as they head back to school, and then this other part of you. 00:06:52.105 --> 00:06:56.526 the other piece of who you are is you're an educator and so you're also trying to um. 00:06:56.526 --> 00:07:00.002 I mean, there's so many people that you're you're supporting and encouraging. 00:07:00.002 --> 00:07:07.528 You have teachers and other staff, and then also all the parents who are coming in the door, and then also their little humans that are coming with them. 00:07:07.528 --> 00:07:14.966 Yes, um, so, um, remind us real quick, uh, before I ask you some more questions what, um is your background in education? 00:07:15.581 --> 00:07:18.750 So I actually started as an elementary school teacher. 00:07:18.750 --> 00:07:29.350 I taught elementary, I taught third grade um for about six years in Flemington, new Jersey, and then I took some time off to be with my own kids while they were young. 00:07:29.350 --> 00:07:36.353 And then it was when Gracie, my youngest, was in school full time that you know. 00:07:36.353 --> 00:07:40.771 I thought I think it's time for me to you know, slowly get back into it. 00:07:40.771 --> 00:07:45.952 I absolutely love um being an educator. 00:07:45.952 --> 00:07:48.127 I love working in the education field. 00:07:48.127 --> 00:07:50.668 Um, it's definitely one of my passions. 00:07:50.819 --> 00:07:55.271 So I I knew God would bring me back. 00:07:55.271 --> 00:08:05.293 I wasn't quite sure how, and um, I'm just, I feel, very grateful and so blessed that he saw that this would be the best plan. 00:08:05.293 --> 00:08:07.338 So yeah. 00:08:07.420 --> 00:08:17.819 So it's so neat that you um, you now, um, you know that you're going to be a teacher, you know a teacher, you know a teacher, you know a teacher, you know a teacher work and serve in a place where your kids grew young people like that's a really cool part of your story. 00:08:18.045 --> 00:08:19.228 Yeah, it's really neat. 00:08:19.228 --> 00:08:23.357 I wouldn't have expected it, but I'm very thankful. 00:08:25.528 --> 00:08:31.165 So, as an educator, what kind of encouragement would you give to parents? 00:08:31.165 --> 00:08:38.538 Let's start with parents of young kids, who you're going to be seeing a lot of this week as preschoolers come back to tomorrow's hope in the building. 00:08:38.538 --> 00:08:42.695 What kind of encouragement would you give to parents with that age? 00:08:43.504 --> 00:08:55.760 Yeah, so I have always every year remembered years ago I had read something that it takes something upwards of six weeks to get used to something new. 00:08:55.760 --> 00:09:32.817 And I think I would just really encourage preschool parents just to remember that it's a, you know, a new start to a new school year is a huge transition for a preschooler and I think just to really be patient with your child, to be patient even with yourself, I think, you know, especially in a day and age where we like immediate results and we want things to click quickly and smoothly I mean, who doesn't but I think just to be patient and know it takes time for it to happen. 00:09:32.957 --> 00:09:36.471 Well, yeah, no, that's such a great fact to know. 00:09:36.471 --> 00:09:39.337 I feel like that's something I need to like put on a post it on my fridge. 00:09:39.337 --> 00:09:47.197 It's like six or like circle on the counter Six weeks, because you know, six weeks that's like, that's what into October, right. 00:09:47.197 --> 00:09:49.509 So that's, like I feel it can feel like a long. 00:09:49.509 --> 00:09:51.294 It feels far away right now. 00:09:52.885 --> 00:09:56.416 Yeah, I think that's so, so helpful to remember and it's so encouraging. 00:09:56.416 --> 00:09:57.908 You know, for me I have a. 00:09:57.908 --> 00:10:03.719 I have a preschooler who is three and I remember last year when he started school, I was so worried about his first day. 00:10:03.719 --> 00:10:06.590 It's like so much change right away. 00:10:06.590 --> 00:10:12.100 And and when we came home that day he just laid down on the floor in our like entryway. 00:10:12.505 --> 00:10:16.629 And he and he wasn't like mad or upset, he just like was tired and he just kind of like laid down. 00:10:16.629 --> 00:10:18.975 I was like but are you okay? 00:10:18.975 --> 00:10:21.972 It was just a really big day, mommy. 00:10:21.972 --> 00:10:24.047 And I was like me too, I love that. 00:10:24.408 --> 00:10:30.768 No, I love that and I feel like that's like perfect that he said big day, it is really big. 00:10:30.768 --> 00:10:41.821 And I think it's big feelings and I think, because we're adults, we forget how big things can feel to a two, three, four year old or a kindergarten. 00:10:41.821 --> 00:10:45.972 You know it's, I think that's, and it's big. 00:10:46.033 --> 00:11:06.471 So I think big things take, big time it takes a lot of a lot of time and you know, and sometimes it happens really quickly and the first you know, this happens a lot in preschool, where the first three weeks are fine and you know, even it can be longer than three weeks and everything. 00:11:06.471 --> 00:11:17.888 This transition seems so smooth and all of a sudden your preschooler realizes oh wait, this is, this is long, this is going to keep going, yeah. 00:11:17.988 --> 00:11:27.149 And then you know, and that's when their transition starts really, you know, and then they start to have those big feelings and I think some of the preschool parents might. 00:11:27.149 --> 00:11:35.341 You might feel discouraged or confused or frustrated, but you know that's all so normal and expected. 00:11:35.544 --> 00:12:06.238 And that's really great, that's such, such great encouragement, thank you, and I think, like you said, having lots of feelings and all of it being really normal, like I think we, we see it more on little younger kids, but it's probably it's so true for every age because they're all in something new and so so what, what other kind of encouragement would you have for parents who are kind of in the same, kind of in the thick of it, like yourself? 00:12:06.238 --> 00:12:09.600 They have an elementary school or a high school, middle school. 00:12:09.600 --> 00:12:15.413 Yeah, what would, what kind of encouragement would you share with them if you were just standing? 00:12:15.452 --> 00:12:17.294 next to a fellow parent, you know. 00:12:17.655 --> 00:12:17.916 I would. 00:12:17.916 --> 00:12:20.600 I think I'd really just be like I know what you feel. 00:12:20.600 --> 00:13:04.410 I think just knowing that they're not alone, I think as you parent, especially as you get into the teenage years, it can feel lonely because you know you're trying to figure out this new relationship with your teenager and they're going through, you know really, you know bigger, bigger things and bigger stressors and I feel like your relationship kind of goes through some growing pains and it can feel lonely and I think I would just encourage other parents to know that you know you're not alone and what you're going through is not crazy or abnormal. 00:13:04.840 --> 00:13:15.371 And you know, I think when the kids are younger, parents are more apt to talk about potty training or nap troubles or the Like the visual, physical stuff. 00:13:15.519 --> 00:13:18.149 Yes, those are so much easier to open about. 00:13:18.259 --> 00:13:27.807 But I feel like sometimes parents of teens can almost feel the sense of shame or embarrassment or failure if their teen is struggling with something. 00:13:27.807 --> 00:13:40.510 But you know, I think it's important for parents of older children to talk just as much you know, to open up and to not feel you know alone. 00:13:40.799 --> 00:13:47.166 Yeah, yeah, that's really that's so important Cause I think that was when I was working in youth ministry. 00:13:47.166 --> 00:13:59.868 That was something I always felt like I could see in parents and would want to encourage in them is they would share something with me about their student and I would. 00:13:59.868 --> 00:14:08.750 I always would want to try and connect them with another parent who is also kind of maybe had a similar experience, and they were like oh, I'm not, this isn't abnormal, I'm not the only one. 00:14:09.481 --> 00:14:09.721 I'm like. 00:14:09.741 --> 00:14:15.990 No, this is just part of having a 13, 14, 15 year old, you know, and I always loved getting to cheer them on. 00:14:15.990 --> 00:14:22.264 Like I love getting to say like I know you feel like your kid doesn't talk to you right now, but they're a great kid Like they make me laugh so much. 00:14:22.399 --> 00:14:24.186 And they'd be like really they talk to you, you know. 00:14:25.080 --> 00:14:36.668 So, also having other people around you that maybe see your kid in a different way can be a good way to feel encouraged, because they're not mom and dad, so they can say like hey, I love talking to your kid, you know. 00:14:37.340 --> 00:14:38.846 No, that's no, that's huge. 00:14:38.846 --> 00:14:56.866 I think, yeah, and I think sometimes when you're in that teenage years you can kind of get hung up on the not so great things that, but there's so many great things too, and I think just being intentional about seeing the good things that come with you know? 00:14:57.039 --> 00:15:08.207 No, that's really beautiful, because I know too like they feel a lot of pressure, that there's all these things that you need to be achieving or doing, and a parent you can feel that kind of pressure that you need to be doing that with them. 00:15:09.200 --> 00:15:20.990 I mean I definitely think the season of being a parent of a teen is truly where God is like pruning you of your control or your love for control. 00:15:20.990 --> 00:15:52.998 I mean, I know as parents, just from the beginning, we love control and I think especially when they become teenagers you start to see God's, you know God is helping you grow up as a parent too, and to let go of that control and just to really be able, you know, to trust and to find that peace and to remember who God wants to be to us as teenage parents. 00:15:53.159 --> 00:15:54.927 I'm not parents of teens, I am. 00:15:55.519 --> 00:16:00.288 So I think you know really connecting and being intentional and pausing. 00:16:01.663 --> 00:16:02.648 Yeah, that's really beautiful. 00:16:02.648 --> 00:16:06.990 That made me think of every year on our hopes. 00:16:06.990 --> 00:16:21.423 On our social media, we try to share like a back to school prayer or something for parents to be praying for over their students or over their kids or kids they might know, but then also kind of for themselves as well, and so I thought we could. 00:16:21.423 --> 00:16:26.226 I thought we could read that here today as kind of a way to wrap up a little bit. 00:16:27.220 --> 00:16:28.583 So I'm gonna read that. 00:16:28.583 --> 00:16:33.525 I'll read that now for all of us as we prepare for back to school. 00:16:33.525 --> 00:16:39.788 So here here it's what it says, God, of fresh starts and new beginnings. 00:16:39.788 --> 00:16:44.505 We bring ourselves our big feelings and our backpacks to you. 00:16:44.505 --> 00:16:57.489 In our backpacks we carry blank pages, sharpened pencils and pointy crayons, and in our hearts we carry big feelings, unanswered questions and hopeful expectations. 00:16:57.489 --> 00:17:07.605 There are endless possibilities of what this new year might bring, of what we might learn, who we might meet and who we might become. 00:17:07.605 --> 00:17:13.943 God, our friend, who is always with us, be with us through it all. 00:17:13.943 --> 00:17:21.626 And that prayer was barred from a place called Illustrated Ministry, if anybody wants to look it up. 00:17:21.626 --> 00:17:25.989 But Talina, as we yeah amen, I love that. 00:17:26.420 --> 00:17:29.624 Yeah, I thought it said so much about what we just talked about. 00:17:29.624 --> 00:17:30.005 Yeah. 00:17:30.005 --> 00:17:39.248 Like about all the big feelings and the big things that we worry about and as we so, as we wrap up, is there anything else that you would wanna share or say to anyone? 00:17:39.268 --> 00:17:42.567 listening, yeah, I mean to all my fellow parents in the trenches. 00:17:42.567 --> 00:17:48.586 I just, you know, like I spoke about that piece and I just I really hope that. 00:17:48.586 --> 00:17:51.546 You know there will be ups and downs. 00:17:51.546 --> 00:17:53.287 It's not gonna, it's not really an if. 00:17:53.480 --> 00:17:58.048 There will be the new year brings, you know, and, but I think, just the piece. 00:17:58.048 --> 00:18:20.048 I hope that you know we will find peace and really be intentional in surrendering things to God and just really knowing that ultimately he loves and advocates for our children far more than we ever could begin to. 00:18:20.048 --> 00:18:34.490 And I think, you know, just to find comfort and confidence in that is probably one of my own personal and probably my wish for other parents and for my preschool friends and families. 00:18:34.490 --> 00:18:43.148 I'm really, you know, excited and looking forward to seeing everybody again real soon and just praying for a great year for everybody. 00:18:43.519 --> 00:18:44.925 No, that's all really really beautiful. 00:18:44.925 --> 00:18:48.776 Thank you for sharing so much wisdom with us and encouragement. 00:18:48.816 --> 00:19:14.666 Thank you for having me, yeah, and if anybody, like you said, is feeling like alone or they're feeling like and they wanna know they're not alone, you know there are lots of things that happen at Hope throughout the whole year for further kids of any age your preschool, elementary, middle school, high school but also for them as parents, and so I'll make sure that we link some of that stuff in our show notes so people can look for it there and find some ways to get connected. 00:19:14.900 --> 00:19:16.066 Yeah that's great. 00:19:16.140 --> 00:19:19.489 Yeah, otherwise, we hope everyone has a great back to school. 00:19:19.489 --> 00:19:22.186 Yes, and Tolina, thanks for doing this with me. 00:19:22.186 --> 00:19:23.163 Thanks for having me. 00:19:23.163 --> 00:19:24.482 Until next time. 00:19:24.542 --> 00:19:35.119 we will talk to you then, Thanks for being a part of the Hope community as we continue our conversations about faith and hope. 00:19:35.119 --> 00:19:40.048 If you don't already, please join us for worship on Sundays or on demand. 00:19:40.048 --> 00:19:46.027 You can learn more at meethopeorg or find us on socials at meethopechurch.