Be Kind.

This is definitely a saying that has been popularized recently. But why is it so mainstream? Here’s another way to look at it. My colleagues and I have been talking about the change we see in the young generations coming up.

They’re stressed plumb out.

And because they’re young children, their stress comes out in many different forms: anger, aggression, lack of focus, fatigue, depression, anxiety, defiance, etc. That’s just what I could come up with off the top of my head. Please know that I understand that many of these things listed can be caused by an onslaught of other reasons, however, I am just looking at the effect of stress on young children.

My patience level is dwindling as an effect of all the stress. But I notice it so I am trying very hard not to show my elevated stress level in front of my students, children, and family.

It’s so hard.

Because I have a pulse and I’m human, I snap at my daughter after school. Daily. We are slowly marching through the mucky muck of life right now and there are times I don’t have the patience anymore. I speak what I feel and I am very blunt and sometimes that’s not what my pre-teen needs to hear.

But, it’s so hard.

I totally understand why my great-nephew acts like a wound up toy after school. He’s been asked to follow directions, sit still, and listen all day. When he gets to my house or his house, he just wants to run around and do all the things he kept himself from doing all day.

That’s how I feel after school. I have been suppressing my stress and lack of patience all day, when I come home I just want to run around like a crazy person and cause all sorts of trouble… I guess. Ha! This is the same for my pre-teen. She’s navigated her day to the best of her ability and when she comes home to her safe place, she just lets it all out.

But, it’s still hard.

The kids in our lives are struggling, friends. Be kind to them. Try to understand where they’re coming from and why the behaviors are happening. Always dish out positive and negative consequences, but just keep in mind the “why”. If I don’t remind myself why my 3 year-old great nephew is throwing a fit in the car, then I am not going to have the patience to get us out the driveway in the morning. He’s 3. He wants to buckle his own car seat even if it takes him 10 solid minutes. I, however, need to be at school in less than that. I breathe, I buckle one and let him scream while he buckles the other one. Then, I turn the music up REALLY loud and let him cry it out.

It’s so freaking hard.

Moral of the story? Be kind. Take a breath and realize that everyone is struggling right now but our kids are really feeling the brunt of it.

P.S. I am NOT perfect and do NOT have all the answers, but what I can do is relate to mothers everywhere.

Stay positive. Stay kind.

Love, Jes