How fast you are does not define your worth

We are conditioned to believe that how fast we are is how worthy we are - starting from when we are children. In school, you get good grades + taps on your shoulder if you are effective and fast, the faster you finish a task, the more productive you are, the more productive you are, the more work you get done, and the more work you get done the more worthy you are.

Biggest. Bullshit. I. Have. Ever. Heard.

Can we please start to tell kids it is ok to be slow? It is ok to spend time finding a solution, to get dressed in a comfortable pace, to eat your food slowly, to walk slowly and to stop when you see an interesting leaf or a nice squirrel, it is OK - and it is how life should be. The fact that we live so fast paced that we can not even stop to look at a squirrel is insane. Not sane. Not healthy.

Sorry to all the mamas and papas out there - I know kids are slow as snail-turtles sometimes, and I am not saying they need to spend 30 minutes to get a pair of socks on (I work in a kindergarden, I know your struggle, I have to get 16 kids dressed, so do not misunderstand me). They also need to learn to just get those shoes on and zip that jacket. But what if they just get 30 seconds more, what if we allow them to NOT enter the flight-or-fight-stress-response so many of us adults are constantly entering, wouldn’t it be nice? Also, kids who are not stressed out are kids who don’t scream and cry as much, and everyone likes kids who don’t scream and cry as much, no?

So, for adults and kids; SLOW YOUR PACE, you are just a worthy even if a little tiny bit

slower. And adults scream and cry less when not stressed to, you know it is true.

Just a side note; I am very slow at getting dressed, and I should maybe learn how to speed up a little bit, for the sanity of both people in my life and to get to work on time. We all got to work on something though, and most people need to work on SLOWING DOWN.