Internal Assets...The "TOOLS FOR LIFE"
Mornings start with reviewing the headlines on my computer screen and sipping coffee. Of course the drive into work means listening to the radio news as well. The graphic bombardment of tragedy and mayhem is pummeling and painful. Without a positive attitude it would be difficult to believe anything good is going on anywhere!
How do you keep a positive attitude when so much 'bad stuff' is going on?
Let's consider three significant INTERNAL ASSETS that everyone needs to survive-
#40 Positive View of Personal Future
#37 Personal Power
#36 Peaceful Conflict Resolution
Kids see and hear more news because of TV and the Internet than their parents ever did. The impact of constant 'bad stuff' can certainly chip away at their positive attitudes or feelings of personal power- say nothing about peaceful conflict resolution! The news travels instantly, often with uncensored, gruesome details. Then to make things more painful, it is played over and over again on multiple news channels. Parents can try to limit access but really, we all know how easy it is for kids to 'jump that hurdle'. Teens often tune out the world with music or video games- not always the best choice if they contain graphic violence. Young children have shown tendencies to mimic the violence they view on TV or video games, sometimes with disastrous results.
Open discussions with our children about world events, violence, war, and personal safety can be the most effective tools for calming their anxieties and helping them develop assurances that things will be OK. Involving kids in activities that have a positive effect on their community will show them that they can make a difference. Encouraging kids to realize their own personal power will help them to challenge their limits and try to improve the lives of others. Resolving disagreements with calm and level headed methods are tough, but kids will remember those techniques when faced with their own conflicts on the bus, in school, at the mall or sporting events.
We can't ever underestimate the power of 'example'.
These "tools for life" are the essential gifts parents can offer to help build the INTERNAL ASSETS all kids need to survive in this world. There are more assets than #36, #37 or #40 and we'll discuss others in subsequent columns. Take a look at the
40 Developmental Assets today on our website www.hci-rtm.org and try a few out.
You might just LIKE them~
