Children thrive in a structured and organized setting but over the past couple of weeks, many of their daily structures have been displaced due to the spread of COVID-19. A sad reality is that many households are not equipped to handle this sudden displacement, despite the growing number of social services available to them.
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After a brutal week filled with a seemingly never-ending amount of work, drama within my friend group, and a nasty case of the flu, I found myself staring at all that I had committed to this semester and doubting every choice I ever made. I felt like a fraud, like I wasn’t smart enough to be in the classes I was in, like I wasn’t qualified enough to work at the internship I have. Although I was able to recognize the flaws in my thinking and cope with the negativity in a healthy way, these feelings were not unfamiliar to me. I spent most of my time in middle and high school struggling with these negative emotions. Now that I am older, I have the perspective to understand that just because life is hard, does not mean that it is unmanageable. In fact, the very same struggles that can make life feel overwhelming can become important transformative experiences when placed in the proper context and when taken on with the right skillset.
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How many of us have friends and relatives, or maybe it’s ourselves, who don’t know their own value? When growing up, I lacked the confidence needed to be assertive, to properly protect myself, and to thrive. My mother said to me on more than one occasion, “You’re my daughter! You can do this!” For sure, I appreciated the pep talk, but those were just words from someone who loved me unconditionally. Neither she nor my father taught me the skills I needed to appreciate my value.
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It’s absurd to imagine a school that wouldn’t teach math, English, science, or history throughout the week. It’s even more absurd to imagine a school that would leave out one of these core subjects altogether. So why is it okay to not teach essential life skills like communication, decision making, and goal setting? If we wish to develop prepared, empathetic, and respectful citizens, then a life skills education is as essential as any other subject.
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Over the years, I have heard people say that life skills should be taught in the home and not at school. However, the longest amount of formal learning time in a child’s life is in the school setting. Daily Overcoming Obstacles lessons result in young people developing the skills critical to their success in the classroom, in interactions with their peers and family members, in the community, and in the workplace. There is also a formal cognitive process involved in making decisions, solving problems, setting goals, and communicating effectively. This process needs to be broken down into parts that young people can grasp and comprehend. A school educator is the right choice for teaching life skills.
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