As I read The New York Times article “Good morning. The pandemic has created a crisis for American children,” dated January 04, 2022, I ponder…
Nothing has to be this way. The facts are the facts in terms of data and the pandemic. However, our perception of the situation and approach to the issue is not conducive for either adults or children to find a win-win situation. It appears as though the situation is negative all around, that we are doomed to a loose-loose situation. It appears as though we have to make choices between the mental health of our children and the physical health of adults.
While I could easily question the choices that have been made (i.e. protecting adults at the expense of the children’s present and long-term well-being), I wonder if it is even a question we should ask ourselves.
Everything is perception. We choose how to view and interpret the situation – we choose our thoughts.
The article focuses on the negative impact of the pandemic for everyone but especially for children. What if, we chose to reject that thought? What if, for a minute, we asked ourselves, in light of the choices made by our governments, how can we still make this a win-win for our children? How can we teach our children to find opportunities in the current circumstances?
What if we chose to teach our children a valuable lesson: that our circumstances do not define us or our potential unless we let them, that as human beings, we have the ability to choose what we think about and how we react to circumstances.
It is easy to feel angry, frustrated, and sad about being deprived of either physical social contact or extra-curricular activities. But we can take this situation and turn it into an opportunity to teach our children that challenges that life presents to us can be turned into an opportunity, and that we have the power to create our own circumstances.
George Bernard Shaw said it best, “People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don’t believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they can’t find them, make them.”
This pandemic and the choices that have been made are truly an opportunity for us to teach our children several skills: resilience; using our creativity and imagination to create the circumstances we want (such as finding a way to still get physical social contact with friends safely); understanding that when there is a will, there is always a way; understanding that we choose our thoughts and as a result attract more positive or negative circumstances in our lives based on our thoughts.
We are currently victimizing our children and projecting that victim self-image onto them. Why are we surprised at the increase of suicide, depression, violence, and damaging behavior?
While the facts are the facts, let’s use those as a stepping stone to make our children stronger and aware of their potential and power of their mind. Let us help them find and create alternatives that are waiting to be discovered. Success and happiness are always there - let's teach them how to find it!
Peggy McColl, a New York Times Best Seller, illustrates perfectly how to create our own circumstances. So let's help our children change the current data by empowering them. Depression and violence are a result of lack of control and stability over the current situation, a self-image that needs some nurturing.
Lu Tandazo - Life and Success Coach - Proctor Gallagher Institute Consultant.
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