Best of the Web: How to raise kids who can overcome anxiety, and more

(Anne Marie Albano, TEDMED 2020)

This is different take on what parents can do if their child suffers from anxiety. As the speaker, who is a clinical psychologist, notes, it’s the most common childhood psychiatric condition.

‘Anxiety can create misery for the child, and the parents are front and center in witnessing their child’s distress,’ she says.

Our natural tendency as parents may be to protect and shield, allowing children to escape challenging situations.

But this TED Talk makes a strong case for the alternative. If we can assist our children to confront their fears and learn how to problem-solve, they are then more likely to develop their own internal coping mechanisms for managing their anxiety.

Visit the TED website

The growing awareness of the damage that can be caused by bullying has culminated in the annual National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence, which in 2021 will be held on Friday 19 March.

Many of the activities are focused on school communities, but, of course, parents and carers also have an important role in supporting a child who bullied.

The Bullying.No Way website of the Australian Government has valuable resources for families, including how to recognise bullying and how to respond.

‘Schools can be much more effective when parents report bullying and support their efforts to deal with it,’ the organisation says. ‘If your child reports that bullying is occurring at school, or the bullying involves students from…outside of school, you should let the school know the situation.’

 

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(Susan Engel, TIME)

The author relates walking into a store in the US where the staff members aren’t wearing masks. When challenged, one says the pandemic is a ‘big deal about nothing’, and she doesn’t care about the number of deaths.

The exchange underlined for the author something that has become evident in the US during the pandemic: there’s a gaping hole in the country’s education system, with too many adults having a low regard for data.

‘We are not doing nearly enough to instill the single most important outcome of twelve years in a classroom: a thirst for knowledge,’ she writes.

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