Strong families provide “positive childhood experiences [to] foster trust and emotional support as children grow older.” Strong families strengthen communities, states, and nations.
In her article published in the Deseret News, Lois M. Collins discussed why so many teens do not speak to their parents.
Research
suggests … Positive experiences [that] kids have in childhood build a strong foundation
for trust and emotional support when the bigger challenges come in adolescent
and teen years. Those positives carry forward into a better life.
That’s
important. A statewide SHARP survey for the Utah Department of Health and Human
Services shows that there’s a big disconnect when it comes to how willing older
children are to share their emotions with their parents. While the vast
majority of parents (93%) believe their kid would tell them what they’re
feeling, a robust 4 in 10 teens say they don’t talk to anyone when they’re
struggling.
That’s
not just a disconnect, but a major challenge, because bad things can happen
when kids don’t feel seen, heard, supported or safe to express themselves and
having that confidence starts early….
It’s
not just a lack of adverse childhood events that bring families together.
Actively ensuring children grow up with positive experiences is key.
According to Collins, the State of Utah is taking this problem seriously. “Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, his Office of Families and the Department of Health and Human Services have launched the CHAT: Family Connection for Healthy Futures campaign to encourage parents to spend time with their kids, have meaningful conversations and do things together that build and strengthen bonds. You can find more about the Utah initiative at this site.
No comments:
Post a Comment