Trish Corbett
What just happened?
You’ve just entered a whole new world. A world which you know something and at the same time, nothing, about. All because you’ve just become a parent.
You had it all figured in your head before you became a parent. You watched and judged (let’s be honest) about what parents did for, to and with their children.
Then you had a baby. You became a parent. And everything turned upside down. Your thoughts and ideas didn’t even gel with you anymore!
What I’ve noticed over the years is that life is ironic. Have you ever noticed that people who bullied a particular child at school end up becoming parents to that same sort of child?
Consequently, this results in you learning what you really needed to know in kindergarten.
COVID-19 impacts
Everything has consequences and COVID-19 has certainly had major repercussions in our communities, both local and global.
Many families have felt they have ‘gone back to basics’ and enjoyed the time spent together as a family. Spending quality time together. Getting to reconnect. Finding out things we didn’t know about each other. The good stuff.
So what have you learnt from your child during this stage in life? Have you learnt to slow down and enjoy life? Have you learned to be more patient? Have you discovered your child has gifts and talents that you didn’t know about?
Everyone has learnt different things because we all have different experiences and different personalities within the household.
Learning about differences in kindergarten would have been helpful. Looking from the perspective that we are all different and seeing our differences as gifts that we all bring to the table is an attitude of acceptance that helps create a united vision.
What if?
What if children were taught to look at each other and see through the eyes of character? What if they were taught that everyone brings something to the table?
Maybe bullying would be reduced, or possibly even eliminated. Imagine if children discovered that we’re all the same, yet we’re all unique and be encouraged to look for the gifts in each other as well as themselves?
Would it build their confidence? Supposing it created a kinder, friendly, accepting environment? Supportive environments exist in pockets throughout the world and we need to increase those pockets.
There are specific supportive social media environments where people have rules and boundaries that advise being kind, be courteous, no offensive comments allowed. In groups like this, you feel safe, you can ask for help and get it, you feel supported.
These are the environments that are children all need so they can thrive. Don’t wait for the rest of the world to catch up, if you can establish that kind of culture in your home, do so. If you can make changes to your workplace, do so. You make a difference because you’re unique, and if you believe you can’t make a change to environments (now that’s a limiting belief) but you know you can make a change for you, do so.
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