IF TODAY’S ADULTS ARE OUT-OF-CONTROL, WHAT ABOUT OUR CHILDREN?
The recent JetBlue incident involving out of control behaviors on the part of both a passenger and flight attendant says a lot about our culture. The rudeness and lack of respect the passenger had for the flight attendant is an example of others not treating people the way they would want to be treated. The lack of self-control exhibited by the flight attendant also shows how more and more people “snap” due to job stress and the overall stress of daily life.
Adults are not the only ones having such a difficult time dealing with the challenges of everyday life…children are too. Even in preschool, children are expelled at more than 3 times the rate of K-12 students. (Yale University Study Center) Bullying is on the rise. One study reported that 77% of teachers state that they would be more effective if they didn’t have to spend so much time dealing with disruptive students.
With children heading back to school in the next few weeks, we need to look at new approaches for this crisis and epidemic. What can educators, parents, guardians and children do? Jon Oliver, author and founder of Lesson One: The ABCs of Life, provides a remedy to alleviate this dangerous epidemic.
“All children must learn empathy, self-control and stress reduction, just as they learn reading and math,” Oliver says. “All children must be provided with ways to feel connected, to get rid of stress and persist despite the many challenges they face socially and academically.”
Endorsed by Bill Cosby and Marian Wright Edelman of the Children’s Defense Fund (among others), Lesson One is a breakthrough initiative that provides homes, schools and communities with a culture-wide, community-wide intervention that not only focuses on bullying, violence or academia, but teaches tangible skills of stress reduction, resiliency, and self-control.
“Jon Oliver's entire career has been an expression of his passion for helping children and adults learn the practical skills necessary for happy, healthy, and productive lives,” reveals Alvin F. Poussant, M.D., Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School. “Lesson One is a model for the entire nation. I’ve seen it; it works.”
Lesson One consults nationally and works with teachers, parents/guardians and children to foster social and academic success. For more information see www.lessonone.org or contact Jon Oliver at 617-869-3838 for demonstrations, interviews or in-studio appearances.
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