There are signs that all is not well with youth today and I don’t think there’s necessarily a single cause, but are we prepared to examine our priorities?
At 6 p.m. on Wednesday, the large Safeway store in Medicine Hat (where we happen to be) has aisles full of shoppers, many of them one parent with small children, maybe on their way home after picking up kids from daycare.
Parents lead hectic lives with daycare deliveries and then off to jobs that demand their full effort for eight or more hours. After an already busy, maybe even stressful day, there’s homework to supervise, or dance, music, 4H, sports, etc. to get to. Oh, and don’t forget supper, (or dinner if you prefer) and perhaps other commitments in the community.
By bedtime, there’s not much left of the parent/s. They’re spent.
Canada’s economy within recent history already meant that a single income or single parent household had a hard time making ends meet. Now with Canada’s inflation raising costs for necessities, there’s no question this is stressing families.
Thinking ahead, is our culture going in a direction that takes us to a good outcome for future generations?
Over the past half century, our economy, and our expectations of an expanding lifestyle to include luxuries beyond our parents’ or grandparents’ time, has driven us toward a hectic lifestyle.
But what are our core values?
A page in the Moosomin Spectator last week was about violence in Saskatchewan schools. It highlighted student violence where three teachers were injured. One female teacher was in her first year at a junior high. Another experienced teacher, whose classroom showed smashed furniture, was injured. The third example of school violence was a retired man who returned to substitute teaching. These teachers were put in the hospital from violence at school.
In all three examples, the teachers stated they didn’t blame the students, saying the youths’ needs are not being met. From the piece, I do not know what that means.
We have more ‘stuff’ thnt we’ve ever had. In some ways life is the easiest it’s ever been. Instant Internet communication and virtual reality babysitters don’t seem to be helping. Busy parents are struggling with their own lives which could include family relationships, money struggles, health issues to name a few.
Just to add seasoning to the situation, horrible personality altering drugs abound. What could possibly go wrong?
Here’s an old fashioned, observation – I saw huge piles of snow in empty parking lots on Louis Riel Day. There was something wrong with the picture. My little dog was the only one playing on the best snow mountain in town. Where were the kids? It was a nice winter day.
Maybe on a family ski trip or having a bake day?
I’ve heard the refrain from several of late, ‘my family is everything to me.’ But I think that throughout the breadth of society, materialism has us in its grip.
Spiritual things that feed the soul can include sit-down meals and bedtime routines - times to talk and to listen. To debrief. Days off or car trips to aforementioned kids’ activities can turn into valuable chat times – if the phone is put away.
Accounts of school violence are throughout major media. We are seeing red – STOP - signs. Kids are struggling, that means we are all in trouble. We need to rethink some things.
