How to Care, not coddle.

In this episode we discuss what is no secret- there is a generation who are struggling, and parents are concerned. It makes total sense that conscious parents and educators who were aware of the significant spike in poor mental health starting to be observed in 2012 and continuing upward wanted to protect their children from pain.  

Jonathan Haidt, in his book The Coddling of the American Mind, suggests that what we inadvertently “protected” kids from was having feelings.  Protecting our kids from having hard feelings does not help them, or all of us as a community. In truth this disconnection hinders communication between individuals and further separates all of us.

We posit that the non-stop exposure, via social media,  to the state of the globe, which was dosed out more slowly in previous generations, has overwhelmed the nervous system of a generation and made them feel despairing and helpless, and that makes sense!  It’s a lot! And they have no experience to remind them that change does happen, and that change takes time.

The good news is this-family and other in-person human relationships can change in less time than global change takes.  Boston University reminds us that “the potential to intervene and reach students at a uniquely important time of life is huge”. This is an opportunity if we slowly remove the obstacles.

Practice: Start to unwrap the bubble wrap. Take advantage of family time, make a little space for little conversations and listen to feelings without reacting. It’s never too late to make space for feelings -good and bad.

References:

Increase in Mental Health started in 2011

Drug Deaths started increasing in 2011 as per TFAH.org

Jonathan Haidt The Coddling of America