This unusual year has brought out the best in the society. For most families the year was not a tranquil it actually set to go one way and then the pandemic and war threw plans and expectations into disarray.
Every family has a story that they cannot tel. Loss, Death, disappointment, insecurity, helplessness, frustration and anger have been common themes of expression. But we should always look for the sunny side and focus on adaption, endurance and perseverance.
What’s your learnings from this pandemic and war phase? Is it one of disappointment and loss or is it one of revival, growth and renewal? Is it a story of mental trauma or is it a story of patience and adjustment? We can discuss the learnings with our kids and make them understand that there are certain things that we can’t change that happens to us but we can surly control the respond. It’s either a story of negativity and despair or one of positivity and hope.
I know it’s difficult but encouraging the children to write a poem or a story can create better events either by holding up our progress or it may powers us moving or grow. The stories that we choose to tell ourselves are prophetic, the pollen deserves a human spread by sharing.
Learning through experience
When I began consulting, my first supervisor provide me with a superb advice. He said to stick close to the students because they would make me a better Lerner.
The same applies to the family life. Challenging spouses, difficult developmental stages of kids and unpredictable events encourage our growth as parents and person, releasing previously dormant abilities and character traits. This year has presented challenges with economical, security and uncertainty in spades and accelerated the learning and development of many parents like me.
Recover, refresh and reset
Human beings unknowingly crave for predictability and this year has been anything but predictable. That’s why this year has been challenging for many families. I wish, I can read the stories of each struggle and make my kid learn to grow with real human experiences.
We can recover with a little effort by celebrating the small events or festival at a small scale, trust me it can help. The routine of the festive season signals hope, predictability and control over emotions. It generally provides a ray of hope to recover from a difficult phase, refresh your depleted mental and physical resources by mediating, yoga, exercise, reading, writing, and gardening or develop any hobby to reset for the year ahead.
Your children will need to join you or develop the same. They need to recover from a stressful phase, they deserve smiles, hugs, play time and nature, let them enjoy the opportunity to refresh their resources and reset their focus for a new school year.
