The Ganenet

Some of the most dedicated, influential people, the most creative and innovative, the ones with the most patience, and the ones who have hearts of gold- those people deserve our undying thanks.

Yes, I'm talking about the ganenet- the preschool teacher or playgroup leader.

These women have a major influence on our children- they see them from 9-1 every day, teach them parsha, middos, sharing, colors, alphabet, numbers....you name it, they teach it.

They make art projects every week, fit to display on the fridge, and these projects actually make the kid's scribbles look like a work of art, instead of scrap paper.

They cook cookies or treats, and each child feels like they did something.

They oftentimes notice problems long before the parent does- like a child going cross-eyed, or an aggressive behavior that could be stopped.

And they do it all with a smile, a hug, and a praise for the child who did nothing more than learn one color or one letter.

Brachos? Learnt from the ganenet. Davening? Again, the same. And when your child actually knows this week's parsha is Lech L'cha- who taught them that? The ganenet.

You'll say, but I teach them sharing and middos- I'm their parent. Yes, but the ganenet does more. Despite having 14-20 kids to focus on, she teaches everyone of them to stop at stoplights and look both ways. And, she teaches them how to interact with others, who are not members of their own family.

Ganenets deserve the ultimate thanks. Thank you for educating our children so they can grow up to be mentchen. Thank you for all you do. I wish I could have as much patience and love as you do.