Children Urged to be Supportive of Each Other

Child Care Officer with the Child Development Agency, Antoinette Brooks, has charged peer counselors, and other children with positions of responsibility, and who might be better off than other youngsters, to extend the hand of friendship to those who are less fortunate.
Speaking with JIS News recently, Ms. Brooks said the youth should make a conscious effort to reach out to those around them, in an effort to love and reassure, as everyone tries to weather the harsh realities of the global economic situation.
“We find that with all the negative stories that are swirling around us, all the negative things that are happening to our children, all the economic problems that are impacting our lives that we get burdened down, but I just wanted to encourage these peer leaders, that being in a situation where you have certain opportunities that others don’t have, gives you the responsibility to help other persons who you may consider to be less fortunate than you are…to give somebody a smile, to give somebody a hug, to give some words of counsel, to help someone, even just by emanating a positive spirit,” she emphasized.
She said children should make every effort not to become swamped by the pressures of everyday life, but should create avenues through which they will be able to relax and enjoy life, as their success at all levels, will be highly dependent on how they deal with the stress they must inevitably encounter.
“Enjoy life, relax, seek to utilize strategies to relieve stress, because we will experience stress, but whether or not we move on, depends on the way we react to stress,” she pointed out.
Furthermore, she urged parents to do their part by constantly affirming their children’s sense of self, providing, at all times, the unconditional love that fosters a child’s physical, emotional, and mental well-being.
“I would like to encourage parents to love their children, to love them without strings. It doesn’t matter whether your child is brilliant, or whether your child is challenged academically or in terms of their behavior; whether your child is challenged mentally or physically- love your child, care for your child to the best of your ability that you can. Don’t neglect them, supervise them, be there, provide for them the best opportunities you can with what you have. This does not mean that you have to be rich. You can be poor and still provide for them, and still give your child love, and still be there. My advice is hold onto your child, look out; let no one harm them, and worse, do not yourself hurt them,” Miss. Brooks implored.
She said children should have confidence in their ability to achieve, and should see themselves as the true winners that they are, believing in themselves, and consistently pursuing their dreams.” To the children, be the best that you can, you are a gem. Whatever it is that you want to accomplish…start seeing yourself accomplishing your dreams, see yourself as a winner, believe in yourself, believe you can succeed, even with all the odds that are up against you, you’ll win, more than likely,” she encouraged.