Briggs starts Kindergarten in a few weeks, and turns out, homework is an issue.

Should or shouldn’t Kindergarteners have homework?  And if they do, why?  What’s the intention?

Is part of the problem associated with increases in childhood stress, anxiety, bullying, obesity, that our schools (and society) are obsessed with production and progression, and less focused on play and connection?

Personally, I’ve struggled with homework…from the beginning.  From avoiding it, to overdoing it.  35 years in (with a collection of diplomas, degrees, and certifications), I still flip-flop between feeling aware and in sync with what needs to get done, and being driven by fear of not getting it done (well) on time.

Yesterday, as my 17 year-old nephew told me about the summer homework he’d need to get done before his senior year kicked off in about 48 hours, I started thinking about all of the homework he’d actually gotten in.

The hours he’d put in looking for a summer job that he enjoyed.  The late night fires with friends…the talking and getting into whatever you need to talk out and get into with your friends at that age.  The long runs, and new movies.  And the sleep.  The much needed sleep.

All of that homework – the work of discovering what makes you feel at home in your own self – that’s the stuff that actually gets you to dig in, so you can grow big.

And I thought, maybe if we all gave ourselves just a little more credit for doing our own homework, doing the rest of it might feel a little easier.