Continuing the thought from my last article, COVID times have been a trying time for the adults, yes, absolutely... but let’s stop here. Take a step back and look at the kids and how they are handling it.
Personally, I am amazed at how resilient our kids are. How accommodating and forgiving they are of us and our lack of empathy towards what must be so unknown and potentially a very scary time for them as well. They just seem to roll with it.
Here is how, I believe, they approach it:
Schools closed?... Okay
Can’t meet friends?... Sad, but okay
No/reduced outdoor playtime?... Okay
Screen time probably replaced by online school time?... Okay
No birthday celebration FOR ME this year??... Sad, but okay
Zoom birthday maybe? Sure, okay!
Meanwhile.. the grown-ups (well, hopefully not everyone)
Schools closed?... Oh no!
Can’t meet friends?... Oh no!
No/reduced outdoor playtime?... Oh no!
Screen time probably replaced by online school time?... Oh God, No!!!
No birthday celebration FOR ME (the adult) this year??... Oh good!
Zoom birthday maybe?... Oh no!
While the kids definitely watch us and try to mimic our feelings and reactions to situations, I believe, this one time, it is our turn to kneel down and look at these big inconveniences with their little eyes. Maybe they won’t seem that big anymore. And maybe we could handle them with more “okays” going forward?
A thing to note here is - the kids seem to feel okay because they know YOU are always going to be there for them and THAT is what makes it alright.
Maybe it’s time to sit back, TRY to relax and think - Who is going to be your “okay” person?
Remember that balloon from 2 weeks ago? Now is the time to allow it to inflate and deflate and let the slide show begin..!
At the end of it though, I hope for everyone to find that they are their own “okay” person. Resilience begins with the self. Be kinder to yourself and it will radiate to your loved ones. Unfortunate things happen all the time, it’s how we bounce back from them that matters.
Aatma Namaste!
| Sweta Shah Sakhpara is a pranic energy therapist and a pranic psychotherapist. She also teaches mindfulness and meditation to kids, adults and families. When she is not doing any of the above, she actively practices being a mindful parent to two kids. |
Having learned and practiced pranic healing for ~fifteen years, Sweta has been blessed with the trust of many clients for ailments as simple as a headache to complex ones like Tourette’s syndrome, from depression and anxiety to finding ways to embrace the idea of a new normal with a child being diagnosed on the spectrum. You could read more about her HERE.
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