No Preconceptions… Just Needs!

Hey everyone, I read this and want to share with you:

Author: Erin, 04 28th, 2009

The journey through childhood and adolescence can be long and hard. According to the National Institute of Mental Health,

• 1 out of 5 children have a mental health problem that can be identified
• 1 out of 10 children have a “serious emotional disturbance.” This means the problem severely disrupts the child’s ability to function socially, emotionally and/or academically.

The most common of these are anxiety disorders that affect 8-16% of our children. Mood disorders affect another 6-16% and behavior disorders (Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, and Conduct Disorder) affect up to 32% of the school age population.

As teachers and parents, we have windows of opportunity to guide children away from the pathway of survival toward their pathway to success. We must stop documenting failure and focus our energies onpreventing it in the first place.

Children do not enter this world with preconceptions, only needs. Through their ‘dance of interaction’ with their environment and the people in it, they begin to develop an understanding of how life works. this understanding influences how each child approaches their future. When the needs are consistently met, the likelihood of positive outcomes is increased. When unmet, the results may be the statistics noted above.

So what are the needs of children?

• the need for an ongoing nurturing relationship; to love and be loved.
• the need for physical and emotional safety
• the need for a sense of belonging and community
• the need for structure
• the need for experiences tailored to their individuality
• the need to make it past survival and into the development of their maximum potential.

Every child is perfectly designed, and it is our goal to influence that design in a way that builds strong lives. As we do that, we must embrace the idea that all strong lives are built in childhood!