Healing our Children and Ourselves

These days, it is not only difficult to listen to the news it can be downright traumatic – not just Covid — but information about wars, climate change, gun violence, the economy, and divisions in our society are available to our minds and bodies 24/7. And young children, whose developing brains are designed to soak up stimuli like sponges, are the most vulnerable.

There is nothing more important than our mental health, and that is exactly what is on the line. We must discover exactly what will bring our children and ourselves peace, stability, confidence, and joy. Find out the self-care that works best for you and make it a priority to practice it every day, whether it is meditation, yoga, prayer, relaxing music, intense physical exercise, a serene nature walk, or an engaging hobby. And if you need more help, please don’t ever be ashamed of reaching out to professional mental health providers.

School health officials, across the country, are prioritizing mental health for their students. A survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that in 2019, 36.7% of high school students experienced “persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness.” I can only imagine how that number has jumped after nearly three years of the pandemic.

As early education professionals, we have a unique privilege to work with children now, when they are very young, to create a safeguard in them against the ways in which our society is trending. Young children need stability and they crave joy. At Programs for Parents, we are bringing all our powers to bear on this very important issue of mental and emotional health. You will see our Professional Development Calendar in the coming months offer seminars to give providers the tools they need to help children grow strong.  PfP is also hosting a special conference on this topic for Family Child Care providers (see the story, “FCC Conference to Feature ‘Navigating the New Normal: New Skills for Living and Working'”)

An important part of being mentally fit is taking stock, showing appreciation and gratitude, and celebrating. Programs for Parents invites you to do just that at our October 26^th Leaders & Legends Gala. We are so excited to bring back this crowd-pleaser after a two-year hiatus due to Covid. We will honor “Legends” of early education and recognize the next generation of “Leaders” in our field. (See the story, “Programs for Parents Celebrates ‘Leaders and Legends’ Gala After Two-Year Hiatus” for more information on purchasing tickets.) I hope you will join us for what promises to be a very memorable night.

Beverly Lynn, CEO