This article below was one I read last night, and it so resonates.... So grateful for the gift of time today with our girl and for the times we have been able to share this year that would not have been possible under normal circumstances....
What have our teens learned this past year?
With in-person social interactions severely limited during the long months of quarantine, our teens were forced to honestly think about how important friendship and human connection is. Coming at a time in life when social connection is so essential, they will forever have pandemic memories of missing out on simple interactions like laughing with classmates in English class, high-fiving teammates after a scored goal, or hugging a close friend who just experienced a break-up. Having endured these social deprivations, Dr. Ginsburg believes our kids will appreciate other people more and understand human connection better.
Our teens have also become much more aware of inequities in life. Whether these injustices pertain to someone’s health condition, race, or material resources, our kids have watched and listened to lived experiences that are vastly different from their own over the past year.
They’ve seen how things that they may have previously taken for granted, such as internet connectivity or a parent’s job, are now things to be consciously grateful for. So many more of them will now consider taking action to make their community or their country a more equitable place.
Teens sacrificed and learned a lot during these days
Teens also realized that contrary to stereotypes, they are not all selfish and entitled. They undertook a great deal of personal sacrifice in order to protect the health and well-being of older people like their parents and especially their grandparents.
These sacrifices were implemented out of love, in order to protect people more vulnerable than themselves. Dr. Ginsburg feels that this might “drive a course correction for this generation to venerate the elderly.”
In addition, increased time at home with parents made so many of our adolescents realize that intergenerational connection can bring a lot of happiness and joy. For all the annoyances and irritations that we may have lived through, many of us also cherish the extra hours we have had with our kids.
All that time spent Netflix binging, board game playing and cooking together created even deeper family bonds that might not have formed without the break from our normal, busy lives, shuffling from one activity to the next.
Dr. Ginsburg reminds parents about to goal of interdependence with our adult children and, to this end, the pandemic was an unexpected gift of sorts.
So rather than dwelling on all that our teens and young adults have missed out on since their “normal” lives came to a screeching halt, we as parents have an important role to play in guiding them to focus on the lessons learned and skills gained during this challenging time. They are resilient and need to hold on to that belief.
Maybe today’s teens will be the next greatest generation
Hearing Dr. Ginsburg say that today’s adolescent children “can become the greatest generation” brings me a great deal of hope and joy. Like many of their grandparents and great-grandparents who came a generation or two before us, they now possess a deeper understanding of sacrifice for a greater good, along with a more committed appreciation for interpersonal connection. They will also benefit from a more open and honest cultural acknowledgment of mental health issues and treatment.
When faced with life’s continual challenges as they mature and age, our kids will be able to look back and remember how they got through this tough time and that will bolster them to continue to put effort into close relationships with family and friends; to work for a more just world; to protect the vulnerable, and to appreciate what they have.
Our kids’ lives might have been fine in the reality of the “old normal” and some may grieve that loss. But let’s remind them of every reason why a “new normal” can be even better and more meaningful.
https://grownandflown.com/
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