Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/living-in-the-real-world-a-question-of-perspective-situationally-disadvantaged/5007842/
Coping with day-to-day life is often a matter of developing a sense of perspective. Working with children and families is stressful, being a child and a member of a family is stressful. It is easy to get swept away and lose our balance as we struggle with the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, especially the outrageous fortune seemingly brought on by the people around us.In my last column, the concept of positive labeling was discussed as a coping strategy for use with children we were struggling with. Recognizing that we tend to label people negatively based on behavior that we don't like - "he's ornery," "she's a whiner," "he's destructive" - it was suggested that, by focusing on the positive aspects of the root behavior and giving the child a positive label, we can change our perspective. The fearful child becomes careful and the four year old Ninja Turtle becomes high spirited. This column addresses another concept that might alter our perspective and help us see others in a more positive light, helping us to think through difficult situations.
Situationally Disadvantaged
I sat around the breakfast table of this sturdy farm family where I would ...