Over the coming 6 weeks, you will hear from all of our teachers here at Appleseed. Sara and I have called on each of them to write to you their greatest hope for the next generation. The greatest hope that they have for your kids.
All of us at Appleseed are devoted to keeping your kids connected. We believe your kids are indeed currently connected, and there is something that can take this connection away. Let me tell you a little more.
There are many things that can disconnect our kids these days. Children’s Mental Health Ontario shows us the outcome of these disconnections, such as: 70% of mental health problems have their onset during childhood or adolescence and 17% of children ages 2-5 years meet diagnostic criteria for mental health problems. But I want to talk about the deeper issues.
How do I see disconnection in our kids these days?
-Few kids know how to talk to actual human people.
-They know surprisingly little about the natural world around them.
-And we as parents do EVERYTHING WE CAN to prevent them from going through anything remotely difficult.
So what do I want for the next generation?
I want to see them connected to themselves, those around them, and the earth like never before. I envision a generation that knows who they are and aren’t afraid of being just that. I envision a world with kids who know what it is to take risks, fail, and get back up again. Where kids have been hurt, and so use that pain to support and comfort others who are hurting. I envision a world with kids who aren’t concerned with the trivial, but rather begin to take significant steps to change what actually matters.
For the connection of our kids,
Megan Snider
Stargazer & Chief Kid Connector