Then I would ask you to take some time to take a look at the kids in your city, and think, really think about what you see. Those kids on the corners that are always causing trouble, the large family down the road who always seem to be fighting and are too noisy, the quiet child with the younger brother and sister who's mother never seems to be there. I would ask you to think about them, not just about how they are a cause for complaint or drive you mad, or the fact that they barely register on your radar but to look past that and consider what really goes on in their lives and why.
The state of Glasgow...
We've all heard the negative reports about Glasgow, about the poverty, unemployment, poor physical and mental health, low mortality levels, addiction, crime, and violence. And we know that children that grow up under these circumstances are prone to repeating a cycle that has often been learned from generation to generation.
We also know from research that children who have not received appropriate love and care in the first 2 years of their lives do not develop or grow properly. Worse still the architecture of the brain is affected and they simply are unable to react or respond in the way that a healthy child can.
The 'unmanageable' children...
Children often don't have the vocabulary or understanding to express themselves vocally, all we have to make sense of what is happening is their emotions and how they behave. This is the lives of the children that we disregard or dismiss as 'unmanageable', the ones who misbehave, disrupt classes and get into fights, that don't seem to listen or care, who seem destined for very little that's good. It's also the quiet ones who fall between the gaps, who seem invisible, have no friends, don't join in with games, and quietly slip away without anybody noticing or caring.
There is hope...
However, there is hope. The right support can have a profound impact and lead to substantial improvement in how they see themselves and others and their ability to cope. Creating a nurturing, stable environment may be the first time that a child can learn to trust someone or to believe that another is interested and cares about them. What should be a fundamental right and that many of us take for granted is simply not experienced by many children. But with proper emotional and physical care children, particularly young children can be incredibly resilient and their life chances transformed.
What With Kids do...
With Kids aims to build early years resilience and self esteem by providing early intervention for children from chaotic or traumatic backgrounds. Working with children using a mixture of one to one and group sessions and also by extending support to the parents and wider family we seek to foster safe and healthy relationships that allow the child and their family to take responsibility for their own lives and live them to the fullest advantage.
If you do just one thing today...
So, if you do just one thing today then please think about the lives and experiences of others less fortunate and try not judge or dismiss them. If you do one thing today – put yourself in their shoes and walk a mile in them.
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