Story Time Provides Silver Lining for the College Coach Team

I think we can all agree that this is a challenging time for families, and trying to balance work and young children can be particularly difficult. While many days are hard and require a whole lot of patience, there are small moments and silver linings that are so important to focus on and enjoy in these uncertain times. My girls love to listen to stories—not only the ones they get at bedtime, but, most recently, the ones that others are reading to them via FaceTime, Zoom, and various social media platforms. If you are a parent working from home while caring for a young child, consider out-of-the-box strategies to give yourself a break and to allow you to connect with your team. We on the  College Coach team felt this need, and decided to create a daily story time, where some of the older elementary-, middle-school- and high-school-age children of our colleagues take the time to read a book (or two) to the younger children of team members. Each day, approximately six kids will tune in via Zoom to listen to some favorite books like The Gruffalo, Curious George, and Harold and the Purple Crayon. Not only is our story time a nice break in the day and chance for the young children to get excited about literature, but it also provides an opportunity for the older children to practice their reading, public speaking, and leadership skills. It is so much fun to see the kids, both old and young, participating—saying hello to new friends, checking out creative Zoom backgrounds, curling up with their parents, and just pausing in these times of unprecedented uncertainty to enjoy a simple story. Silver linings, indeed.