From the get-go and repeatedly throughout my education and experience as a journalist, I was taught that you show, rather than tell. In other words, rather than blabbering on and on about what the story is, you show what the story is through words. Allow the reader to figure it out on their own, create their own picture, rather than patronize with step-by-step instructions. The result is a richer, more engaging story that grabs the reader rather than bores.
If this is true, then why do we fail to do this sometimes when we are teaching our kids?
We say that we want them to know that they are enough right now, but are our actions reflecting those words? Are we also showing them with our actions that they are enough?
Trust me, it’s not easy, especially when other forces from social media, intergenerational trauma, exposure to peers and the environment often push back or eclipse what you are trying to show.
Add in all the rules and standards they have to follow and having that space to show them can get murky. Plus, what if they reject the picture you try to paint because their fragile self-esteem tells them to or their own creative juices flow in another direction?
At Women & Girls Education (WAGE) International, showing kids that they are enough is a big part of what we do in our mentoring programs. Telling a child he or she is smart by giving them an A is one-dimensional, but showing them that they are smart by giving them space to shine and teach others can have exponential results that are sustainable for years to come.
Empty words no matter how prophetic or eloquent can fall flat, but a three-dimensional picture of how they are enough can be powerful.