FROM STEVE GOWIN - Sorry I wasn't sure how to as many comments as I had. The blog is fine, but I thought it needed a little reorganization and some style work. Otherwise, I'd like a little more information at the end about how to adjust attitudes for parents, a little more on how to achieve human resilience and compassion. The writer can take whatever of this helps.
Acting as an emotional mentor for children through a professional and familial perspective provides both:
The Covid-19 pandemic is exposing structural issues in our societies, but issues occur on the individual level as well. The current pandemic can create many conflicting emotions, particularly in families.
Children are perceptive and frequently mimic our examples; they observe and learn by seeing how we respond. That means they that they pick up on both our emotional wellbeing and our mindsets.
For that reason, we need to face our own emotions and ask if we display bad habits in response to a particular feeling or if we show anger or disappointment in the face of stress.
Remember, children reflect these responses, and whether we like their reflections or not depends on our own awareness. Such attitudes can, understandably, be difficult to view and accept.
Imagine the frustration for children when they see us deny fallibility and claim an emotionlessness state. Such denial invalidates and undercuts a child’s emotional awareness and intellect while conveying the flawed message that emotions are “weaknesses.”
Perhaps the best responses we can provide are:
Unprecedented times mean no rule books or reference sheets or best responses, so perhaps the best lesson for our children is emotional human resilience and compassion.
This tool provides a platform for you and your children to share emotions towards that goal.