Why is it Important?
It is important to teach kids about the ups and downs of life because it helps them develop resilience, emotional intelligence, and coping skills. Life is not always easy, and everyone experiences challenges and setbacks at some point. By teaching kids to acknowledge and understand the difficult aspects of life, they are better equipped to navigate these challenges and bounce back from setbacks.
Teaching kids about the ups and downs of life also helps to manage their expectations. When children understand that life is not always perfect, they are less likely to become overwhelmed or disappointed when things don’t go their way. Instead, they can learn to develop a positive attitude and focus on finding solutions to the challenges they encounter.
It would be prudent to suggest that we are getting very comfortable with the way we orient ourselves into this cruel world. I hope I do not sound very pessimistic by describing the world the way it has been. Primarily, this is mostly affecting the high-school and college level young generation. Some would favor using “weak.” For the sake of writing to a larger audience, I am staying away from calling it “Weak.” What we have been witnessing is the intense contest between free exchange of ideas/talks and an overly protective environment that shields the would-be triggers from the vulnerable students.
It is incredible how our biology works if you truly understand. Our immune system is straightforward. It is extremely adaptive to the surrounding environment. But we choose not to give credit to our immune system when it is due. I partly blame it on our unprecedented fast-paced culture worldwide. I wonder how many people actually try to watch the 5 seconds youtube ads. This is how impatient we are getting to this day. It is not uncommon to expect more people would press the skip button. This is just an example.
Everything seems to be built to spend less time on everything: more conveniences, less time. We have accustomed to the new normal, impatience. We feel sick; we immediately think of doctors and pills. We don’t even give an ounce of thought but quickly take the thunder away from our immune system. The point is that we need to let our body’s immune system respond to threats and inconvenience of its own accord. Think about it; we don’t give child vaccines not to reduce exposure to hazards but to let children expose to threats in small doses, thereby preparing them for similar incoming threats for the future. I digress.
This extra layer of protective good intention is wreaking havoc on the life of many young teenagers. We never leave kids unintended; child-plays always occur in a secure environment in the form of parent-controlled play methods. While I appraise that being overly protective comes with good intentions, I think it is doing more harm than good. Let the kid experience what life is like outside the real world. Studies have found that kids who do not have control over their life can deal with a serious form of mental health and depression later in their adulthood.
It is really interesting, I have read a research conducted by Peter Gray, which suggested that the decline in children’s free play can hinder their mental and psychological development. This idea of free play, in my opinion, should not just be limited to physical activities. The free play of ideas, thoughts, and views should also be on the front burner in our education system. Instead, what we hear is the increase in environments such as trigger warnings and safe spaces for students who do not particularly share others’ ideas. Ok, trigger warnings and safe spaces are not bad ideas. I think they could be tools to help certain students learn better. But where do we draw attention between freedom of expression, speech, and the right to not be offended?