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| Square Peg, Meet Round Hole |
Often times it may seem as if the systems and institutions our children are required to navigate are set in place to conspire against them.
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Children will face many challenges as they grow and develop.
There are times during which we will be required to advocate for system change on behalf of our children. The system may or may not respond in a constructive manner. Some elements may; others may not.
Regardless of how the system responds, these situations also provide us with a golden opportunity to coach our children on the character strengths, values, and skills needed to successfully navigate difficult situations and systems in life.
Very few systems are perfect, if any. The vast majority of work places are mediocre, at best. As reported in a Harvard Business Review article, a study by Life Meets Work found that 56% of American workers claim their boss is mildly or highly toxic. A study by the American Psychological Association found that 75% of Americans say their “boss is the most stressful part of their workday.”
This is what we are preparing our children for.
I'm not advocating for non-advocacy. Please do advocate for your children, on their behalf. What I am suggesting is that advocacy, while important, is only one side of the coin. The other side is skill development, value system development, and character strength development. These are the assets children will need in order to be ready to enter the workforce.
As parents, our job is neither to force our children to conform to the system nor to force the system to perfectly fit our children.
While we can work to mold the system into something more comfortable and effective, our primary job is to help our children develop the character strengths, values, and skills they will need to navigate obstacles and overcome difficulty successfully throughout life.
Kenneth H. Little, MA / 135 Lee Brook Road / Thornton, NH 03285 / 603-726-1006 / Achieve-ES.com
