Klein
By MEAGAN McBRIDE KLEIN
Kids these days are really different from when we (their parents and caregivers) were in school, right?
We see our kids struggling to sit still, anxiety and depression on the rise and, let’s not forget, we walked uphill both ways on the way to school! When “we” were in school we had woodshop class and home economics. We didn’t get to put our stuff in our lockers, we carried our books between classes. We even had cooler playground equipment — merry-go-rounds and teeter-totters are thing of the past!
What if I told you that these differences have an impact on some of the differences by which we are so frequently befuddled? We see anxiety and depression on the rise predominantly in our middle- and high-school-aged kids. And, while there are many factors in this (better diagnostic tools, lower stigma, dietary changes, etc.), we also know of some key environmental factors. Having a woodshop class to go be hands-on and create a sense of pride, creating baking projects or sewing creations, learning hands-on life skills did more than fill a spot in a gradebook and cause the occasional injury: These gave students an opportunity to move, let out frustrations or foster independence and a sense of accomplishment, and created a haven for many who didn’t feel like they fit in.
Our school cultures have dramatically changed, and this has a profound impact on our students.
Another place we see this change is in things as simple as toys and backpacks. Teeter-totters and merry-go-rounds provided necessary sensory inputs, with centrifugal force being a powerful re-regulating force. We now see occupational therapists using heavy lifting and compression protocols for kids with ADHD/ADD, and centrifugal force being a part of sensory diets.
While you can fight to have these pieces reinstituted in schools, you can also help by providing experiences where kids foster pride outside of schools with time to swing and spin in circles.
Also, don’t be afraid to give your kids chores that require heavy lifting and, remember, kids these days really DO have it different!
Meagan McBride Klein is a licensed professional clinical counselor/director at Family Resource Center and a doctoral candidate at the University of Toledo. If you have a mental health question, please send it to: Mental Health Moment, The Courier, P.O. Box 609, Findlay 45839.