“Where there are few flourishing adults, there will be few flourishing children.”
I came across this line in the session guide for the educators’ conference which the teachers and I attended a week ago.
This line reminded of being on a plane which was preparing to push away from the gate and the flight attendant gave emergency and safety information. She said, “Should there be a change in pressure in the plane, an oxygen mask will drop down above your head. Please place the mask over your mouth and nose and breathe normally.” She continued with, “If you are traveling with a small child, please put your mask on first and then help your child with their mask.”
I’ve thought about those instructions many times since that trip. “If you are traveling with a small child, please put your mask on first and then help your child with their mask.” In addition to sharing the safety protocol the flight attendance was imparting wisdom about taking care of ourselves. The principle behind this is that the best thing for the child in the long run is to have a parent or parents who can take care of them beyond the crisis that requires the air mask. The advice to parents is clear, we need to take care of ourselves so that we can take care of our children. As a chiropractor I went to often said to her patients, “if you aren’t good to yourself, eventually you won’t be good for anyone else either.” Amid the busyness of life, let’s always remember that self-care is not selfish, but it is in fact one of the best things we can do for others.
