Better than the Old Normal

Suniya S. Luthar, writing for Child and Family Blog, describes how the pandemic shut-down actually brought some relief at first for many children who were feeling stressed at the unrelenting schedules they were being asked to keep. She encourages parents (and teachers) to consider these words:

“None of us should forget, if life begins to return to how it once was, that there was something wrong with the overly busy schedules of many children’s lives. The figures for serious anxiety and depression tell the story. COVID-19 has brought its own problems, but the temporary sense of relaxation it has offered some children shows that life was not that healthy beforehand. Children deserve better than the old normal.” (“Pandemic shows children’s well-being rests on parent’s psychological health,” by Suniya S. Luthar, childandfamilyblog.com, October, 2020)

Rusty Keeler, in his popular new book, Adventures in Risky Play, extolls the virtues of intentionally supporting more unstructured play for children in order to help them de-stress; the kind of play that allows them to make their own choices, test their capabilities, and master appropriate risks. Especially in a time of pandemic, when all of us are acutely aware of what we cannot do, encouraging children to find out what they CAN do by experimenting with risky play is one way to support emotional well-being.

Join Rusty Keeler for an ECI Webinar (free to you, sponsored by Exchange Press), Adventures in Risky Play: What is Your Yes?, on Wednesday, December 9 at 2 PM Eastern. 

For more information about Exchange's magazine, books, and other products pertaining to ECE, go to www.ccie.com.

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