Children need life lessons not just academics

This is in response to the column written by Jill Simonian on Aug. 9. In a perfect world, all children would come to school with their “life skills” intact and operational. Having taught children from all socio-economic levels and grade levels for 22 years, I know this isn’t so.

Children come from very disparate backgrounds and homes. Parents or guardians may not have the time, skills or inclination to teach these important lessons. While I agree that teachers and schools should not be held accountable for curing the ills of society, I also applaud the addition in the mandated curriculum for students to be taught to “breathe” and other wellness exercises.

Really, what more important behavior as a human being is there than showing kindness to other human beings? Age-appropriate behavior and stress management are crucial behaviors in successful classrooms.

We live in a highly stressful world and it doesn’t look like that will change anytime soon. Yes, academics are important in the building of knowledge to assure our children are able to attain success as adults, but a child also needs tools to manage his/her emotions, energy, attention and well-being.

This story was originally published September 11, 2017 at 10:56 AM with the headline "Children need life lessons not just academics."