Today’s parents have new challenges. Previous generations were kept busy feeding, clothing, and educating their kids, while even earlier generations of parents were preoccupied with just keeping their children alive. Parenting challenges that exist today, like learning disabilities, gender identity, ADHD, autism spectrum, along with heightened anxiety and depression, either didn’t exist in the past, or we were unaware of them. Most likely today’s challenges did exist in the past, yet parents of the past had little support in testing, diagnosis, and coping information. Without awareness, and support that exists for many modern-day parents, the trials that children faced historically, had to be put aside. Students with learning disabilities were not provided with special accommodations to assist them in school, rather they were more likely to be streamed away from academics or removed from schools altogether. Children of the past had an abundance of judgement and virtually no support to advocate for themselves. This form of prejudice of ignorance still exists, of course. Topics like gender fluidity and neuro diversity were rare topics of the past, and without expression or acknowledgement, they remained to the mainstream, nonexistent.
For todays parents and children a lot of pain and collective suffering has paved the way for future generations to be acknowledged and possibly accepted in certain circles. Perhaps the challenges of todays children are rising to meet this generation of parent’s abilities and resources. Many parents of today who reside in first world nations, have the luxury of easy access to endless information, agencies, and support groups. We may not have signed up for this, but it irrefutably appears that the side effects of parenting besides, grey hair and exhaustion, is personal growth. We learn, adapt, or die trying. Nothing demands development of self more, than being responsible for others, especially those who need extra understanding.
Parents learn what they need to in order to provide, to safeguard, and to ethically raise up their kids. Every generation has had it’s unique problems that stretch parents to new heights of knowledge and competency in relationships. The diversity of issues today has taken parenting to a whole new realm. The modern-day parent is propelled far beyond that of being a mere provider. There is a strong need to be open and aware of learning modalities, child development, emotional intelligence, and the pros and cons of rapidly progressing technology that alters our kids lives. Families now, have grown to become not only more knowledgeable, but also more compassionate and adaptable to children who are atypical of the so called and ever-changing mainstream. Autism and ADHD are only a small example of the many challenges and gifts that we face collectively. Our growing awareness is replacing fear with acceptance. What was once seen as a learning disability, is now acknowledged as a learning diversity. Nonconforming, nonbinary, children and adults are viewed as less scary. Parents and communities are seeing more opportunity instead of disability and isolation. Yes, technology can spread misinformation and hatred, but it has also offered enlightenment, increasing hope for our children’s safety and acceptance.
Children are embracing their true selves, accepting their uniqueness’s, they are transforming differences into the assets that diversity offers. Accessibility to people on the web that are redefining normal and pushing the boundaries of human value, are inspiring this generation of children to be authentic. This in turn is challenging parents to love their children however they showup. We are learning to accept them not despite their differences, but in celebration of those differences.
No doubt it’s a stretch trying to keep up with a fast-changing world, yet it hastens our growth intellectually and emotionally. Today’s children are fortunately forcing parents to challenge old beliefs and to adapt to new perspectives. Their issues become our issues to grapple with together, raising us up simultaneously.
So, pat ourselves on the back, and ask our child for a hug, let them fix our phone and program our remote. We all deserve credit for trying, failing, and occasionally getting it right. The great thing that pulls all generations together is that children love us for trying even when we mess up. We don’t need to get it right, to understand everything, to be able to fix our kids issues and pain. All that parents and children really need is to love each other, especially when we’re struggling.
Namaste
Chris