At Bourke Accounting, Bill’s granddaughter started in-person pre-school this week. While I’m leery about school openings, the kid didn’t have a problem with it. Her mother instructed her to keep her mask on all day and showed her the extras packed in her little bookbag. The kid accepted it with a “meh, I guess this is what we’re doing now” mentality. Judging from the picture (above), the child was more interested in her weird water assignment than the implications of masks (I thought she was manufacturing drugs, but Bill says pre-schools don’t engage in child labor).
Recently, I’ve been hearing stories on the news and from friends about the heavy toll the virus is taking on children. The disruption of normal life has led to an increase in depression, anxiety and behavioral problems among the young. While we can blame coronavirus and lockdowns all day long, the true culprit is us. We, as adults, aren’t holding up our end of things.
Don’t believe me? Stop me when I’m wrong, then: last weekend, a couple beat the holy bejeezus out of a 17-year-old worker at the Sesame Place theme park. This poor kid, an attendant at Captain Cookie’s High C’s Adventure, had his jaw dislocated after telling the couple (for the second time) that they needed to wear masks. Obviously, these people are savages, but the really extra-for-special part was that they assaulted this teenager in front of a lot of kids (NBCNews.com). How can we expect the children to be all right when not even Captain Cookie’s High C’s Adventure is safe?
Kids are still other-worldly enough to tune in to their caregivers’ emotions. When my little cousin was littler, she smacked her head on the concrete. She looked at me to see how she should react. When I told her that she just knocked out how to tie her shoes, she laughed and demonstrated that, no, she had not (I made sure she wasn’t bleeding). While it’s incredibly difficult to remain calm when we don’t know what’s going on or how long it’s going to last, we have to. That’s it. We have to be calm so that we don’t drive these half-baked creatures even more insane.
Another issue that parents and caregivers have to consider is that kids are getting away with murder right now. I hear parents lament that their children are talking back, defiantly disobeying and aren’t keeping up with schoolwork. Instead of repercussions, these kids are given passes, as “they’re going through so much.” Yeah, welcome to life, here’s a shovel. By not holding children accountable for their actions, we’re effectively hamstringing them; the prospective education gap that everyone is worried about will have its origin at home. It’s important to encourage children to talk about what’s making them act like evil monkeys – sensitivity to a kid’s obvious distress is not coddling. However, anxiety is no excuse for kicking a sibling or burning down the neighbor’s house.
Disasters change us. Fear, uncertainty and all the other good things give us the chance to behave like drooling maniacs or like superheroes. Your kid might not remember the cake you bought for her/his 5th birthday party, but I promise, that kid will remember the day you beat down Cookie Monster. Let’s be better.
Bourke Accounting bookkeepers and tax preparers are always calm (Bill isn’t even freaking about his grandkid going to school). Bourke Accounting experts know that if they allow their emotions to run wild, they are absolutely useless to their customers. If you are going through a financial tragedy, your Bourke Accounting specialist is here to solve your problems and alleviate your fears with the peaceful guidance you’ve come to expect.
Come see us any time. Our number is 502-451-8773 and don’t forget to visit our website at www.bourkeaccounting.com. See you soon!
Written by Sue H.