STRESS AND ANXIETY IN THE 21ST CENTURY

I've said this several times: young people's ability to withstand stress and difficult situations keeps getting lower and lower by the day. Normal ups and downs of life have become so overwhelming for many young people.

It takes mental strength to raise kids who will be responsible adults. These days most parents from a very tender age teach skills that make the child feel that life is meant to be always happy... thanks to social media that 'nothing sad ever happens' you only see the bright side of people on social media, not their fears and struggles. But why don't we .rather teach skills that won't necessarily make young people happy at the moment such as self-discipline, impulse control, emotional regulation e.t.c

Now, most people do want to see their children cry, yes I agree its painful sometimes but for the sake of that child, allow the child to cry, he or she won't die from crying....one major reason why young people are not resilient anymore and cant withstand pressure is from what research has tagged 'Helicopter parenting. The child cannot suffer the way I suffered so whatever the child wants the child gets. We don't know how to say "NO" or delay gratification. We've taught them that life is meant to be happy always and not a moment of sadness.

Raising healthy kids is helping the child become the best version of the child's self not trying to make them better than others or making them feel that if ur sad at some point in life then it's abnormal.

Remember that natural consequences can be life's greatest teacher... when the child was learning how to walk, he fell several times and cried and yet still told up and is running all over now...

Let the child experience failure, yes you heard me well, let them experience setbacks, that way they learn how to bounce back.

Let the child throw a tantrum because he was not given a candy, the child must not have everything even if it is readily available giving the child 'everything would relieve you of the 'guilt' of not giving them the best but would ruin them later on... you would not be with them forever, and they would have to face the world without you...when they fell they can go out and face the world and have one setback. It is how u trained them that plays a role in how they deal with it

Think back to back to when we were younger (the 1990s and early 2000) and how did we deal with boredom and anxiety, of course, these things did not start 5 years ago, they are a natural part of life. Now children use electronic devices, and social media to block their minds from these ups and downs instead of dealing with them.

Social media has taught them that life is sweet, that there are other options to bouncing back, and that failing and starting again is too stressful. Not just social media for these children but even for the parents and adults.

Please let us realize when we have children in our midst, they mirror a lot of what we do, how we manage stress, solve problems and tackle challenges....they are watching and learn a lot, if we do not start from ourselves, we are not ready for what is going to become of young people...social, emotional, spiritual and cognitive skills are necessary for a child's life.

Please and please, teach delayed gratification, allow a child to fail and try again, don't give a child everything he or she wants, and build that resilience in your children.