When you were little and still in school, the three R’s meant reading, writing and ‘rithmetic – the basics of education. You must’ve done a good job learning these; look where you are now! Ah, those were simpler times. Life is so much more complicated now – and not just for us, but for our families, too. Those humble little R’s seem left behind in the fast-paced technological world we live in.
Nothing is simple about our current world – a pandemic that hasn’t left us yet, social distancing, uncertainty, unrest, worry, stress, supply and demand issues, increasing prices… (ugh!) the list goes on! So, how can we, and our families, survive (even thrive) during difficult times?
You know I’m all about surviving and thriving — always on the lookout for helps in this area. I came across some articles directed at educators worried about children’s coping ability in an uncertain, scary Covid-19 world. (Rightly so! It’s affected students’ mental health and learning.) The plan offered to help the kids was an updated version of the three R’s:
RELATIONSHIPS. ROUTINE. and RESILIENCE.
As I studied these articles, I realized these R’s apply to everyone, not just students! In the coming posts, we’ll take a look at each “R” and incorporate them into self care for ourselves and our families. Stay tuned!
article sources: Pamela Cantor MD, Kate Felsen, Shelia Ohlsson Walker, PhD.