It’s Back-to-School time, but it’s not all pencils and school buses. This commercial speaks to the grim reality of the modern classroom:
CLICK HERE to watch.
The video is sponsored by Sandy Hook Promise whose mission is to end school shootings and gun violence. How do we prepare our bright-eyed kids for such a bleak reality?
In elementary school, the biggest threat I faced was riding the merry-go-round on an asphalt playground or hovering under a textbook during a tornado drill. Now, kids worry about getting shot.
School shooter drills serve to prepare a classroom for the threat of an AR-15, hoping to save at least one innocent child from the shower of bullets. We want our children to learn literature and algebra, but they’re learning evasive maneuvers and self-defense. I get stressed watching the evening news and can’t imagine how a child feels practicing ways to survive a murderous rampage. The anxiety is overwhelming and the fear might not dissipate when the drill is over.
A new picture book can help kids “find calm during school lockdown drills.” NOT LIKE EVERY DAY by Stephanie V.W Lucianovic introduces us to Henry, a scared little boy during a school lockdown drill. The story is in first person, told from Henry’s point of view.
During the drill, Ms. Betancourt locks the door, turns off the lights, and tells kids to keep quiet.
Henry tries to make himself small so nobody can hurt him. He repeats to himself:
“It’s not real. It’s not real.”
When the doorknob rattles, Henry knows it’s the principal, but he repeats, “Not real, not real.”
The drill lasts minutes, but Henry’s anxiety persists. While other kids are out at recess, his stomach twists. Ms. Betancourt sits with Henry and lets him talk about his fear. She teaches him to take a deep breaths until “breath by breath, wrinkle by wrinkle, my tissue paper stomach untwists, smooths out.” They focus on a sound or smell to bring calm. Henry returns to the playground with his friends and knows the next time there’s a drill, he will close his eyes and breathe.
The author shows the reader that it’s okay to be scared and talk about your worries. She gives useful techniques of deep breathing and focusing on the senses to relieve anxiety—important tools for any stressful experience.
I wish we didn’t need a book like this, but Stephanie Lucianovic’s beautiful story can help kids through a stressful situation. The illustrations are stunning and the the text is written in a soft and tender tone. There is a foreward written by a psychologist at the beginning of the book with great guidance.
NOT LIKE EVERY DAY is a perfect addition to any classroom, no matter a child’s age. If you’re six or sixteen, the fear during a lockdown drill is the same. Just remember, you are not alone.
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