Lasting Growth Through Family Engagement
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry is one of my favorite children’s books and this line, “It is the time you have wasted for your rose that makes your rose so important.” captures a simple, yet powerful, truth: Relationships gain meaning through the time and care we invest in them. In the story, The Little Prince realizes that his rose is special, not because it is perfect, but because he has tended to it–he has watered it, protected it, and paid attention to it; he has helped it grow.
A few times a year at Black Mountain Academy, we invite parents and family members of our students to join us in Black Mountain for Family Workshops. I love Family Workshops. I love them for several reasons; however, the main reason I love our workshops is because it is a time for parents, many of whom are on a unique, sometimes long and challenging journey, to connect with one another and to connect, in person, with the adults on our team that they have entrusted their children to.
Connection and engagement go hand-in-hand. At Black Mountain Academy, students are supported as they build and develop skills (e.g. emotional regulation skills, communication skills, academic skills, etc.); however, because meaningful change rarely happens in isolation, when families are actively involved in the process, the personal growth and development becomes deeper and more sustainable. Family engagement helps ensure that the work students are doing at Black Mountain Academy is connected to the relationships that matter most; the relationships they have with the members of their family.
Like the Little Prince caring for his rose, the time families spend showing up—learning, practicing, and connecting—becomes the very thing that makes the relationship stronger and, in the long run, what helps lasting growth take root.
Ryan Bachrach, Clinical Director
