Supporting Your Children
Its been a difficult week watching those around me dealing with issues. Being a person who does not like seeing other people hurting, this has also been very hard on me. That is probably the reason I ended up in the healthcare field, I want to help. But how do we support those around us in the correct way?
It is so easy to jump in and try to solve the problem. I have been working for many years to halt this immediate response and it truly still takes a conscious effort. I know that solving someone else's problems does not help that person learn and grow but it's still hard to just sit there. Sometimes its easier just to do it yourself, but that is only a temporary fix.
One of the hardest things is a parent watching a child struggle. You want to give them the tools so they can grow, not just give them the answers. You try to instill good work ethics, critical thinking, and accountability which seems to be slipping in this day and age. In the end it is still up to them to make the choices and want to learn even if it is frustrating for us. You can only guide so far, and then you must trust that you have given them the tools to get through the bumps that will occur. Maybe that is where as parents we are the ones to fail, we do not want to see our children get hurt along the path of life. But without these experiences, how do you grow? How do you feel empathy if you have nothing to relate it to? How do you support your children while they are going through this? How do you give them the confidence and courage to continue on?
Well, thanks to starting my Kung Fu journey, I am back to being a child and finding out AGAIN what that other side is all about. So, I am trying to be more aware of how my "Fathers" and "Big Brothers" interact with students during struggles. How they support instead of just fixing the problem, how they let each child set their own path, and how they inspire and motivate their children. Thank you for showing me things that I can use to become a better parent!
Jackie Kohut
