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RAISING KIDS IN A WORLD OF NOISE
continued...
its that promote empathy and the social intelligence that will help
them thrive throughout life.
“Introduce your kids to a diverse range of people and encourage
them to befriend those who are different from them,” says McCor-
mack. “Teach them to respond to challenging situations through a
lens of curiosity and understanding instead of judgment. If a class-
mate is snide at school, help your child come up with ideas as to why
he or she may be behaving that way.
“And of course, model ways for them to help others in need,” he
adds. “If you see a mom struggling to balance groceries and a new-
born, offer to help her get her bags into her car.”
Above all, remember to check your own behavior. As a par-
ent, you are a huge influencer. If you’re perpetually distracted and
addicted to technology, how can you expect them not to be?
When you spend hours watching TV or scrolling through Face-
book after work, why would you not expect your kids to do the same?
Spend your time in more productive, enriching, and rewarding ways.
And talk about it. Say, “I’m really enjoying this pottery class. I like
being creative.” Or, “I love working at the soup kitchen. It makes me
feel happy to help others.”
Remember, this is not about disconnecting from technology. It’s
an incredibly valuable tool when we manage it well (rather than let it
manage us). Rather, it’s about teaching kids to make better choices, to
discern what they let in, and to take charge of their time and attention.
It’s about giving them a life skill that will serve them well as adults.
“We go to great lengths to protect our money and property and
other resources, yet we don’t think twice about squandering our most
expendable, scarce resource,” muses McCormack. “We have limited
time, so what we pay attention to really matters. That’s one of the
most important lessons we can teach our kids.”
Joseph McCormack is the author of “NOISE: Living and Lead-
ing When Nobody Can Focus.” He is passionate about helping
people gain clarity when there is so much competing for our at-
tention. He is a successful marketer, entrepreneur, and author. His
first book, “BRIEF: Make a Bigger Impact by Saying Less” (Wiley,
2014), sets the standard for concise communication. Joe is the found-
er and managing director of The BRIEF Lab, an organization dedi-
cated to teaching professionals, military leaders, and entrepreneurs
how to think and communicate clearly. His clients include Boeing,
Harley-Davidson, Microsoft, Mastercard, DuPont, and select mili-
tary units and government agencies. He publishes a weekly podcast
called “Just Saying” that helps people master the elusive skills of
focus and brevity. To learn more, visit www.thebrieflab.com/noise/.
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February 2020 WNY Family 27