But I really want the prize

I had posted this previously but I feel like we (me) could use a reminder of this very thing.

Sam has been sick for a few days, and he missed school. During his absence, he missed the deadline to turn in a paper for a library challenge. It was during a conversation that we had where an important lesson was brought up and turned into a great teaching moment.

Even though Sam had missed the deadline to turn his paper in, he still wanted to finish the challenge. The challenge was to complete at least 12 of the reading tasks and turn the paper in for a prize. However, Sam still wanted to complete the challenge, not because of the prize, which he wanted desperately but because he wanted to spend that time reading with me. But the lesson was that sometimes it’s not about winning the prize per se but about accomplishing the goal and spending time with loved ones.

Sam, like others in my family, has been diagnosed with ADHD. I can relate to this because even though I have never been given this diagnosis, I have a strong tendency to do the same things. We have so many projects started. However, they tend to be left unfinished. I was talking to one of my daughters, just yesterday, about this very thing. So when a project or, in this case, a challenge is completed, it is such a great achievement. We need to celebrate those achievements even if we don’t get the prize.

So in that challenge, there were two lessons.

1. Spending time with those we love.
2. Celebrate the achievements even if there are no prizes.