No Magic Bullets
Posted: October 18, 2008Our commentaries this week have focused on building self-confidence in the child who is physically or emotionally different- the one who faces a tough social challenge.
Despite these wonderful suggestions that I have provided, let me conclude by acknowledging that there are no magic bullets, short of changing the values of an entire society.
It will always hurt to be laughted at, snubbed, or attached by others, but I will remind you that the human spirit grows through mild adversity, provided it’s not crushed in the process.
The ideal environment for children is not one devoid of problems and trials. The challenges that come their way in childhood often provide the motivation to succeed in life.
So our task as parents, then, is to eliminate every obstacle for our children.
And if we try, we will just make emotional cripples out of them.
Our resoponsibility is to serve as confident allies, encouraging when they are distressed, intervening when the threats become overwhelming, and above all, equipping them with the tools to negotiate the obstacles.
