Religious Education Update: Feb. 22, 2009
Growing Resilient Children
As a frequent volunteer in the public schools, I often work with elementary age children who are protected from every possible adversity. Once, on a twenty minute walk from Lucchessi Park to Sonoma Mountain Elementary School, a class of fifth graders was greeted partway by a mom who doled out popsicles, lest the children experience thirst or hunger on their journey. While this gesture was generous and well intended, I wondered if this mom was sending the wrong message. Could she be saying to the kids that they weren’t strong enough to walk a mile without rest and nourishment?
It is reassuring to me to learn that some exposure to stress may be beneficial to children’s development. In this week’s Newsweek article, “Who Says Stress is Bad for You?”, the authors state that some childhood adversity, properly handled, can lead to greater resiliency. Salvadore Maddi, a psychologist at the University of California gives a result from his studies, “Many of those who did best as adults had had fairly tough childhoods. They had suffered no abuse or trauma but "maybe had fathers in the military and moved around a lot, or had parents who were alcoholics. There was a lot of stress in their early lives, but their parents had convinced them that they were the hope of the family—that they would make everyone proud of them—and they had accepted that role. That led to their being very hardy people."
Our families at UUP face challenges in this difficult time for our nation, but also an opportunity to teach children that problems can be overcome, and that they have the inner fortitude to succeed. The Newsweek article speaks to the role of religion, to the positive results of meditation and a Zen Buddhist philosophy. This approach may or may not work for us at UUP, but filling children with hope, with faith in their characters, and the wisdom in picking their battles and persevering, will all help grow resilience.
Marlene Abel
Director of Religious Education
As a frequent volunteer in the public schools, I often work with elementary age children who are protected from every possible adversity. Once, on a twenty minute walk from Lucchessi Park to Sonoma Mountain Elementary School, a class of fifth graders was greeted partway by a mom who doled out popsicles, lest the children experience thirst or hunger on their journey. While this gesture was generous and well intended, I wondered if this mom was sending the wrong message. Could she be saying to the kids that they weren’t strong enough to walk a mile without rest and nourishment?
It is reassuring to me to learn that some exposure to stress may be beneficial to children’s development. In this week’s Newsweek article, “Who Says Stress is Bad for You?”, the authors state that some childhood adversity, properly handled, can lead to greater resiliency. Salvadore Maddi, a psychologist at the University of California gives a result from his studies, “Many of those who did best as adults had had fairly tough childhoods. They had suffered no abuse or trauma but "maybe had fathers in the military and moved around a lot, or had parents who were alcoholics. There was a lot of stress in their early lives, but their parents had convinced them that they were the hope of the family—that they would make everyone proud of them—and they had accepted that role. That led to their being very hardy people."
Our families at UUP face challenges in this difficult time for our nation, but also an opportunity to teach children that problems can be overcome, and that they have the inner fortitude to succeed. The Newsweek article speaks to the role of religion, to the positive results of meditation and a Zen Buddhist philosophy. This approach may or may not work for us at UUP, but filling children with hope, with faith in their characters, and the wisdom in picking their battles and persevering, will all help grow resilience.
Marlene Abel
Director of Religious Education
posted by ddodd @ 9:14 AM
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