Children are not vessels to be filled, but people to be helped to grow

Sometimes I wonder if we are raising generations with little tolerance for frustration?

Many times adults choose to protect their children and prevent them from suffering; we have managed to make them not have the capacity to get frustrated. I have seen this a lot in class, children are not capable of turning the page and getting frustrated, we always have tears in our mouths, you have to be happy, be well, all of this prevents young children from taking medication for anxiety; lack of sleep.

They already think from their homes that they have to be happy and content all the time. Teach them that they have to have the capacity to face the fact that not everything turns out as we expect. Accept that the word "no" exists, that you have to make mistakes, lose, if someone says something about us, face criticism. I don't mean that we should be submissive or not be ourselves, but that unpleasant emotions exist.

I have seen children who can face negative things and regulate themselves. That is wonderful, when they have told me, teacher, in a little while I will be able to get through this bad time, and I see how they feel and breathe calmly. 

It is not good to avoid because we do not learn; parental overprotection will lead to non-autonomous children, with fear of error, anxious and nervous.

It should also be noted that it depends on their environment and family, this does not always happen, and we are not going to compare with generations because I used to keep quiet before expressing what I felt, for fear of society, I did not have that predisposition to ask for help

Social media makes perfect lives and dream bodies appear, and this reduces the ability to accept oneself and that life is not so fast, and that sometimes it is imperfect and frustrating.

I don't mean that social media spoils teenagers but it modifies the context in which they live

Acceptance and commitment therapies teach that it is normal to be anxious, sad, that emotions should not be eliminated but lived with and channeled. Pharmacological treatments have increased and it does not mean that medications are a consequence of low tolerance to frustration, many factors influence, effects of the pandemic, bullying problems.

I believe that parents and educators should not intervene immediately when there are difficulties, allowing them to resolve them according to their age, validating emotions without eliminating all consequences. Teach them that making mistakes is part of learning, that "don't cry" or "it's okay" should be avoided because for them something important is happening. Children learn by observing how adults handle their frustrations.

Emotional education begins at home; I know we cannot control everything but we can be interested in where our children are and in what environment they move.

Make it clear that violence in any area, even in sports, is not the way to solve problems; let's talk with our teenagers. I recently read that cases of gender-based violence have increased here on the island, but among minors, preventing this terrible thing requires a shared commitment between families, schools, institutions, and society.

It is not a matter of raising from fear, but from involvement, closeness, and education. Let's educate in respect, equality, and consent from an early age; it is an effective tool to curb all this.

Prevention is a shared responsibility. Families, educational centers, and society must work together to offer young people tools that help them see the path to follow. As I said before, it is not about parents living in fear, but about being present; adolescence is a stage in which young people can be exposed to negative influences, toxic relationships, or risky behaviors.

Knowing who they are with, what they do, what they feel, and what worries them can make a big difference.

They don't need perfect parents, they need present parents. Let's all walk together to build a more empathetic generation; the best legacy we can leave them is to teach them to live with respect.

If a society protects its children, it also protects its future.

As Noam Chomsky says, "If you assume that there is no hope, then you guarantee that there will be no hope. If you assume that there is an instinct for freedom, then there are opportunities to change things."

"The purpose of education is to teach people how to think, not to think for them." 🌱✨

With this powerful phrase, Noam Chomsky reminds us that the true value of learning lies in developing our ability to question, reflect, and create our own ideas.