While our nation has become recently obsessed with childhood obesity (rightfully so!) and what our kids put in their mouths from daybreak to midnight, we might also want to consider what we've been putting into their brains on a daily basis. Let's face it; life these past few years has not been one of fairy tales and happy endings. Our collective demeanor might best be described as sullen, agitated and pessimistic. It's only natural for that mental state to manifest itself into negative thoughts, communications and actions. When the climate is dark, many of us will tend to gravitate to less productive, less helpful behaviors.
Where does that leave this generation of kids? Honestly, at our mercy. Kids want fun, they want hope, they want a promising future. If most adults are struggling just to make ends meet, however, there isn't a lot of spare time to spin a good-natured yarn or share a warm-hearted movie with your children. Instead, many kids are left to their own devices -- and the devices today are their smartphones, their iPads and social media, which is unfiltered and most often destructive in its intent and execution.
That's why, more than ever, kids today need positive inspiration. For goodness sake, they've been saturated almost their entire lives with gloomy news about the economy, war, terrorism, overpopulation, food shortages, disease, global warming, and apocalyptical warnings. And we wonder why they don't smile more?
This list of inspirational heroes could go on and on because it does go on and on. There are countless people out there doing countless great things for others. Sadly, we, and especially kids, aren't hearing these beautiful accounts of what really matters the most. No, we're told about the senseless killings, the political squabbles, and the shrinking economy on a constant basis.
Life isn't all rosy and cheery. But we know it isn't all doom and gloom either! How about we give inspiration equal time for a change? We all might be surprised what a daily diet of goodness will do for our kids' brains.