I’m really worried about this next generation of children.

In response to serious abuse from some nefarious teachers (that absolutely had to be dealt with!) we’ve really undermined the whole system.

As an author/storyteller, when I go into a school I’m fully aware that most of the children have no intention of following my line of work. So in crafting my presentations I decided to focus on ideas that might help them and things they should care about.

Yes, they get to hear about how I became an author and about the creative process, and about literacy, but I wonder if the real ‘message’ in many of my presentations is ‘Don’t lose your sense of wonder!’ and ‘Life is a journey with the good and the bad, ride it out!’

Even while I’m getting really tired of what I might charitably call ‘grievance’ literature (and when I’m feeling less charitable I call ‘wah wah’ lit) which consists of stories where the main character complains for the entirety of the story. I’m wondering if constantly portraying marginalized groups as victims is doing them any favors. And I’m wondering if this victim narrative isn’t contributing to a sense of entitlement.

Life isn’t fair.

I don’t believe it is meant to be. (That’s what I believe the day of Judgment is for–to address all the wrongs we’ve ever experienced.)

What we need to do, as individuals, is navigate the unfairness that is the world, in the best way possible. And–to influence the people we encounter towards reaching their higher selves.

It’s not about acquiring stuff–although there’s nothing wrong with having a comfortable lifestyle. As long as there’s a roof over our heads and food in the fridge we should count ourselves lucky.

It’s not about fame or showing off. It’s about living a life of integrity and contributing to the greater good. When we do that, we can’t help but increase our self-esteem because I believe then and only then, do we absolutely believe that we are worthy of it.

We can try to fool ourselves with pep talks like the self-help gurus say, but don’t you think deep down we realize that if we’re only ever working in our own selfish interests we’re not really good after all? At some level don’t we see through the platitudes?

Our schools seem to be turning into an area of false positivity and I think the children know it.

But what do we do about that? Honestly I don’t know.

Some kids thrive on it because it mirrors what they hear at home, but there are others…poor things, in whom it creates a sort of disconnect. An idealized version of reality that they know full well that they’ll never have access to.

With all the reassurances they receive, the validation of their intersectional identities, it seems our children these days are more anxious and depressed than ever.

What can we do about it?

I’m thinking we should start telling them the truth.

But where to begin…I’m not sure of that either.

In a CNN article “Since 2007, the rate of suicide deaths among children between the ages of 10 and 14 has doubled,…”

And for years Canada has had the fifth highest rate of child suicide in the world! In the world!!!!

We are failing our children!

And we need to fix our approach before it’s too late.

We need to train them to be resilient. But how?

That’s the question.