#817 Musings Beyond the Bunker (Thursday December 14)
Good morning,
THE KIDS ARE NOT ALL RIGHT
I’ve been sharing for some time my perspectives on the significant mental health problems that plague teenagers and college students. It is a pandemic that is starting to make COVID look like child’s play. Every year we hear of suicides of distraught young people, kids not being able to make it through school, and others who begin to exhibit concerning—even dangerous—behaviors. While there are a lot of cases of chronic mental health issues, many are among the youth. Any parent can confirm that young people tend to be more impulsive and can react quickly, sometimes without thinking, to events. This impulsiveness can cause even the healthiest of kids to be at crisis episodically—responding to unrequited affection, bullying, feelings of self-loathing, or poor performance in school or sports. It is important that in these cases, as well as more chronic circumstances, young people have the skills to recognize this tendency and cope with their emotions.
As many of you know, Andrea and I initiated the Bradley Sonnenberg Wellness Initiative at USC, in memory of Brad. While resident at Hillel, its goal is to provide wellness and mindfulness activities, coping methods, and individual counseling to students, regardless of religious affiliation. The response over its first three years of existence has been overwhelmingly positive and it has served as a model for implementation on other campuses.
Educating kids about mental health, particularly the stigma that can be attached to mental illness, is critical. And there isn’t too early a time to help kids understand that mental health is not that different from physical health issues. They often are tied to dealing with emotions and the episodes of distress often are situational and temporary.
APPROACHING ISSUES THROUGH READING AND SHARING
One way in which children can first approach understanding feelings is through reading with a parent or teacher about what other people might be experiencing. This notion of sitting and telling a story that weaves in an important message drove Andrea to write books for children of 4-7 years of age—using animals in familiar situations, to impart a message.
While some might think this shameless self-promotion (well, maybe a little bit), it is not. Andrea has written two illustrated books (so far) that are targeted to young children. They both are inexpensive and available on Amazon (yes, I know, I hate patronizing the evil empire, too). They are perfect for a child or grandchild and are even better when gifted to a classroom or school. All proceeds go to mental health awareness.
Andrea’s first book, Panda’s Helping Paw, addresses depression by depicted one of the animals as feeling sad and unable to come out and play. Here’s the description and the link:
“Take your little one on a heartwarming journey with Panda and his friends as they learn how to support their pal Bunny and discover how sadness can hurt someone just as much as physical pain.
When a game of soccer turns into an unexpected accident, everyone in the neighborhood comes together to help Elephant feel better. But when Panda discovers that his friend Bunny is hurting too, only on the inside, he sets out to rally their circle of friends to shower Bunny with the love and support he needs.”
https://www.amazon.com/Pandas-Helping-Paw-Andrea-Sonnenberg/dp/B0BVCY7LNZ
The second, Elephant’s Big Climb, using the same characters to address anxiety, sharing Elephant’s fears in a public situation. Here’s the description and the link:
“Embark on a heartwarming adventure with Hedgehog and her friends in Elephant's Big Climb, a touching children's book that tackles childhood anxiety with a trunk-load of courage and friendship!
Hedgehog and her pals eagerly await their turn to conquer the gym rope, but when it's Elephant's chance, fear sends her running. After Elephant’s fears resurface on the soccer field, Hedgehog sets out on a journey to help her friend calm the butterflies in her stomach and the worries in her head.”
https://www.amazon.com/Elephants-Big-Climb-Illustrated-Overcoming/dp/B0CHL52WKZ\
NO LABELS
No, not the No Labels movement—that’s another Musing! This is about presents without labels…
I love getting presents (though giving them is more fun). A phenomenon that has been happening recently with all the deliveries by myriad companies is the absence of a card or other indication of the identity of the sender. So if you’ve sent us a gift (like the Homeboy Industries goodies we received the other day), thank you. If you don’t get a thank you note, it probably means we don’t know who you are!
Have a happy, healthy (physical and mental) holiday season!
Glenn