I’m curious about what the future will look like for the young children of the pandemic. Every parent, caregiver, teacher and those who work with children recognize the overwhelming impact the pandemic has had on our young people. Isolation, mask wearing, virtual schooling and missing milestone events has impacted the overall mental well being of many of our children. Across the country many schools have struggled with not only meeting the academic needs of students who fell behind in reading and mathematics, they have also struggled with supporting their social emotional needs.

There has been an overwhelming number of children (adults too) who struggle with regulating their emotions. School fights, an inability to resolve conflict without getting physical as well as anger and sadness permeates the hallways of many schools. The tension and struggles for all involved are at an all time high as many schools across the country struggle with staffing certified teachers. Like the mental health and the overall medical industry, education has seen a mass exodus of educators.

If we view society as a tree, it is easy to argue that the tree is dying. The roots, the branches and the lack of bearing fruit has left us stumped. What can we do to revitalize and uplift a society of children who are being raised by devices, the internet and very soon the infiltration of artificial intelligence? The time is now to facilitate necessary changes needed for our kids to reroute their paths. We must act now to support their emotional well being as well as their academic ones. There’s no time to wait, procrastination will only add more strain to an already fragile foundation.

We won’t even broach the subject of school shootings and the aftermath of what such violence have on the collective mental state of us all. Our children’s path to leading productive, balanced and healthy lives have taken an unexpected route no one could have ever imagined three years ago. Where will they be in ten to twenty years from now? How can we best support the many children who have found themselves lacking a sense of belonging within our current societal structure? How can we support them when many of the adults tasked with raising and educating them are also struggling?

What are your thoughts dear reader? Have you observed a need for change as it relates to how we show up for our young people, and essentially how we show up for ourselves? Until next time, blessings.