This week I’d like to highlight an interesting article by Gary Direnfeld, called “The Trouble at School and the Need for ‘We’”.
In what often feels like an increasingly polarized political environment, the author points out how kids often pay the price. He gives historical context going back to deinstitutionalization in the 1970s, the increased need for a double income to support a household, a lack of social services and ongoing cuts to what exists and the normalization of increased screen time as a few key factors in the erosion of meaningful connection time between parents and their kids.
He does not place blame on parents–this is not about shaming. Rather, he points out that as a society we have started to take ‘either/or’ positions (frequently modelled by our politicians) on issues like integration in the classroom, which results in a combative atmosphere, pulling our collective focus away from finding solutions by working together. After all, we all want the same thing; happy, healthy, well adjusted kids.