Written and narrated by Mary J. Cronin, Ph.D.
After a year of closed schools, canceled activities, and missed student milestones, there is finally good news about COVID vaccines and a return to normal. Even as they welcome visiting grandparents, school sports, and in-person birthday parties, however, parents are asking themselves if the kids really will be all right.
Remote learning and social isolation have taken a toll on school-age children, especially adolescents. It there anything parents can do to rebuild their children’s resilience and self-confidence? One approach that addresses the challenges families face today comes down to a familiar but often overlooked tradition — sharing stories about older relatives and their experiences.
According to Dr. Marshall P. Duke, a professor of psychology at Emory University, this activity correlates with children developing “higher levels of self-esteem, a belief in one’s own capacity to control what happens to him or her, better family functioning, lower levels of anxiety, fewer behavioral problems, and better chances for good outcomes.”
It turns out that these much-desired outcomes can be obtained from simply sharing stories of older family members’ lives with young people. This regular sharing of family stories has profound and long-lasting consequences that benefit children and adolescents at every stage of life...
Continue Reading at InnerSelf.com (plus audio/mp3 version of article)
Music By Caffeine Creek Band, Pixabay
About the Author
Mary J. Cronin, Ph.D., is an advisor for Write the Family, an intergenerational family storytelling program affiliated with Write the World. She is a Research Professor at Boston College School of Management, and the President of 4Q Catalyst. She serves as a nonprofit director of the Boston Authors Club, the Encore Boston Network, and the Center for Ageless Entrepreneurs, and has authored 12 books on managing digital innovation and social impact.
For more info, visit the Write the World website.
