The World I Want For My Kids

Hello friends. I’ve been wanting to write this post for some time now, but haven’t really been able to find the words to fully say what I want. But I decided that in light of the recent attacks on Brussels, I need to give it a try. Every time we are faced with a tragedy like Sandy Hook, the attacks on Paris, the Colorado movie theater shooting, San Bernadino… the list goes on, I get scared and worried for the future of our kids. I find myself turning to my husband and asking him what kind of world is Olivia going to grow up in? And neither of us has the answer. So, I’ve given some thought to the world I want for my kids. This is by no means an exhaustive list, because I could go on and on, but these are the most important changes I’d like to see in the world. And, because I don’t like to talk about problems without giving solutions, I also have an idea for how to make this world better. Read on.

The world I want for my kids is…

…free of violence. I’m not kidding myself here, I don’t think we can completely eradicate violence everywhere, but I want a world where attacks on children and families and innocent people are not plastered all over the news with what seems like impossible regularity. A world where parents never have to worry about a crazed gunman harming their children while they’re at school, a playground, or any public place. A world where people do not harm others in the name of religion or beliefs. I want people and government and countries to be able to solve problems without turning to violence and hatred.

…full of acceptance. Acceptance for everyone, everywhere. Regardless of whether someone is gay, straight, black, white, brown, trans, disabled, Christian, Muslim, atheist, etc. I want people to have an open heart and mind to the beliefs, cultures, races, origins, and nationalities of everyone. We do not have to agree with each other, but a universal respect for one another is paramount.

…full of kindness. (I want to note here that I truly believe there are far more kind and good people in the world than bad, but can you really have too much kindness?) Kindness should be something that we do not because we expect something in return, but because it is a part of being human. Kindness transcends everything, it is the unspoken statement of “I care.” It is absolutely free and yet invaluable to society. By being kind, we become better people, therefore making a better world.

…educated.  As a teacher, I have seen first hand the benefits to having an education versus not having an education and there is no stopping a well educated child. Horace Mann said, “education is the great equalizer” and I completely agree. Education is the key to combating so many of the problems our world currently faces. And I’m not just talking about school, but education beyond the classroom is just as important.

How do we get there?

Now, I know that I basically just made a wishlist of seemingly impossible changes for the world to make. But is it too much to hope for a better world for my daughter and our future children? Is it even possible? It is not too much to hope. It is possible. But that possibility starts with us, the parents. Carlos Slim, a well-known Mexican businessman, once said, “It’s important to give a better country to your children, but it is more important to give better children to your country.” I try very hard to keep that in mind as Eric and I embark on the journey of raising our daughter. Raising children is one of the greatest opportunities of our lives to make a difference in the world and as much as we want to make the world better for them, what we really need to do is shift our focus– we need to make our children better for the world.

We need to impart humanity on our children, teach them a universal respect for human rights. Instill in them a need to give back and serve the community. Not just teach them tolerance and acceptance, but show them. Be the shining example of kindness and humility. Demonstrate good morals and values. If we start raising happy and empowered children then they will go on to create a world that represents peace, health, tolerance, and love.

Look, I’m only 12 months into this whole parenting thing, so what do I know, right?  I certainly don’t have all the answers here, but I do know that the only way to raise good, kind, loving children is to be good, kind, loving parents. So here is your call to action moms, dads, and caregivers: do the very best you can to be the model of compassion, kindness, and empathy because the world is counting on it.

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XO,

L