The COVID-19 pandemic (along with trauma from gun violence, racism and political unrest) has worn down an already stretched mental health system. The number of children arriving at many emergency departments with a mental health crisis has climbed over the past two years, as have applications for outpatient and day treatment programs. Meanwhile, staffing shortages have gotten worse, and long-standing problems with low wages and a lack of culturally competent providers persist.

So, I wonder…

I wonder if instead of being so focused on teaching our children differences, we should instead be focused on teaching them what makes us human and similar. Would they be more likely to move forward together rather than divided?

Rather than raising our children to question everything and everyone, should we instead be teaching them a strong sense of self and self-awareness? …to confidently and compassionately approach the world and others without fear and apprehension.

Do our children today have the opportunity to be just that…children? Have we overwhelmed them with the perceived (or maybe even real) need to have an opinion, self-identify or pick sides before they enjoy a time of innocence and exploration? Instead, are they identified by their sexual orientation, political viewpoint, socio-economical position, and mental or physical limitations? And why are we picking sides?

I am not saying our children should not approach life with curiosity, but I want just that for our children…an opportunity to be curious, make mistakes and learn. I wonder if our children feel they need to grow up faster than we did to deal with the “big feelings” and complexities of our world today. A time in their life that they may not be emotionally mature enough to maneuver, so therefore, struggle.

We continue to request more money and resources to build a mental health system that can support our growing youth mental health crisis. A reactive approach when treatment is already needed. It might be said that, instead, our behavior needs to change to proactively help our children. Darn it…let’s start by just letting them be children.