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KIDS OF CHARACTER 5/4/2009
You Are Bigger Than Your Problems
The poet, Ella Wheeler Wilcox, knew that hard times know no age. Whether we’re 7, 17, or 70, we can count on a little rain to fall regularly on our life. Yet, too often, when kids hit a tough moment, parents instinctively, and understandably, try to shield their kids from the hurt. Shielding kids can cripple them. However, mentors who soften tough moments for a child can help them build the character quality of persistence. I truly believe that kids need to learn that everyone fails into success. These failures do need to be seen as stepping stones, not stop signs. A bad test grade, a poor performance in a game, a slight by a friend, a missed opportunity…these are the events that serve as golden moments for a parent, grandparent or coach to nurture a child with the enduring character lesson of persistence: You are bigger than your problems. Kids of Character can discover there is a difference between having a problem versus being the problem. Kids need to know that they are problem solvers and that hurt can, and often does, accompany everyday problems. But children are strengthened when they experience their ability to move over, under, around and through their problems. They need to know they have a capable mind that can navigate through the treacherous waters of discouragement. Valuable and effective mentoring that offers encouragement to children helps them know they have the right stuff to handle the ever-changing face of disappointment, discouragement or downright failure! Mentors who provide guidance in tough moments for the children the love can appreciate the words of Lyman Abbot who wrote, “The highest qualities of character must be earned.”
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