I wanted to share this post from Orange Leaders with my SGLs because it’s a good reminder to us.
Don’t let these assumptions limit or reduce your impact on your few:
Don’t assume kids have the same perspective as you! Remember you are who you are because your life experiences have shaped you and your perspective!
Do you ever find yourself in conflict with a kid because they see things differently than you? Maybe you have trouble understanding your toddler’s nonsensical meltdown or your teenager’s immature decision. Is it possible that you’re looking at life through your own lens and expecting kids–with their underdeveloped lenses—to see what you see?
Don’t assume that you know what it’s like to be a kid because you were a kid! Things have changed. Elementary age kids’have access to all types of information and opportunities for learning that some of us are only just now discovering as adults’.
Here are safe assumptions:
1. Kids are going to act like kids. Yes they are going to make the wrong choice. Yes they are going to act crazy and annoying. That doesn’t make it okay. It’s still important to set expectations. But don’t freak out when a kid acts like a kid.
2. Kids are living today!
That means their world looks very different from the one you grew up in. Thankfully, we have a secret and we are going to share it with you. Come close. Okay, here it is . . . you are living today too!
You can study social media, check out the latest hit movies, books and music, and generally work to understand what it might be like to grow up in the golden age of smartphones and all-the-time internet access.
This is the best news of all, really. You once were a kid. Check. You live today. Check. You have the wisdom of an adult. Check. Your powers combined pack a pretty strong punch.