Empowering Young People In a Complex World
"Tell me and I'll forget. Teach me and I'll remember.
Involve me and I'll learn."
-Benjamin Franklin
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Greetings!
When I was a kid, my dad used to tell me that he never stopped worrying about me. At the time I thought he was ridiculous, but not so much anymore. Since before my daughter’s birth about five and a half years ago, I haven’t stopped worrying.
The immediate worries have changed—early on it was trying to help a highly-sensitive baby to be comfortable and happy—now it’s starting kindergarten, choosing sports and hobbies, and avoiding more ER visits for broken bones and stitches.
But there’s a greater and more vexing worry that underlies all the rest: How do I raise and support my kids in a world that looks entirely different from the one I grew up in? I am on the older side for being a parent of little ones. I grew up without internet and was well into adulthood before getting a smartphone. The first mass shooting at a school (Columbine) took place in my last semester of high school.
Right now, my 2-year-old and 5-year-old are blissfully unaware of most societal ills. They go to Montessori preschool, run around our mini farm with the horses and goats, and occasionally watch some PBS kids TV. For the most part, we don’t watch, listen to, or talk about the news around them. Though we’ve openly faced some tricky subjects—the death of family, Covid, racism, what happens to the beef cattle when they disappear from the pasture across the street—our strategy thus far has been to shelter them from technology, social media, and the news.
But I know this can’t last forever. They will go to school. They will use technology. They will make friends with kids whose innocence has been lost by no fault of their own. They will be forced to perform active shooter drills. And if we don’t equip them with the knowledge and skills needed to live in this crazy world, then they will suffer.
If you also struggle to know how best to help the children, grandchildren, or other young people in your life, join us for a workshop led by Jim Brommers Bergquist on empowering young people with the tools they need to navigate the most difficult issues of this time.
Sincerely,
Becca Perry-Hill
Lumunos Outreach Manager
becca@lumunos.org
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For the first 45 years of my life, I managed to maintain a level of naivety concerning the way my mind worked and my propensity for mental health challenges. I had worked as a minister, teacher, and chaplain, and yet through all the counseling classes and experience, books I'd read, and seminars I'd attended, I didn't really know myself.
I had also worked with hundreds of students and adults who struggled with depression, anxiety, and a slew of other issues (ADHD, eating disorders, self-harm, executive function disorder, etc.), and had accompanied several families through the pain of suicide. Yet I am embarrassed by the lack of real understanding I brought to others and myself at that time.
In the spring of 2014 I made a job change, took on a challenge, and moved my family across the country. Within a few weeks, I had what could be called a profound mental health breakdown—one that still informs my life eight years later.
More than anything, my journey with depression and mental health has formed me as a person of understanding, compassion, and deep concern. I have also watched my two daughters, and their many many friends and peers try to navigate adolescence. What I am convinced of is that being a young person in 2022 is an overwhelming task. But the good news is that there are tips, resources, ideas, and supports that can help teens—as well as their parents, grandparents, and the people who love them—navigate these years with a sense of self-understanding, purpose, comfort, and empathy.
Through my work and personal experience, I have accumulated and curated a great deal of research and practical tools, which I am excited to bring to you in the workshop Thou Mayest: Empowering Young People with Tools to Navigate a Complex World* (click here to register).
Jim Brommers Bergquist
*The title comes from a passage in John Steinbeck's East of Eden, and I will explain the importance of this phrase in our time together.
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Reflection Question
What struggles have you faced in helping a young person navigate an ever-changing world?
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Online Workshop
"Thou Mayest: Empowering Young People with Tools to Navigate a Complex World"
Led by Jim Brommers Bergquist
June 29th, 7-8:30pm ET
To learn more, click here.
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Online Book Club
"Women Becoming"
Discussing Finding Me by Viola Davis
Led by Becca Perry-Hill
July 6th, 12-1pm ET
To learn more, click here.
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