Idle Minds…
Written By: Neil S. Siskind, Esq.
www.siskindlawfirm.com
www.neilsiskindsupports.com
Idle minds and idle hands are the devil’s workshops. Children and teens with empty space and empty schedules can only end-up in empty places in their lives. Children in single-parent homes often come home to empty houses where the only parent in the household is working to support the family.
Feelings of purpose and belonging are everything to children. Structure, subconsciously, delivers vital feelings of satisfaction and purpose- and even more so for a child who has lost a parent. A sense of belonging somewhere is vital.
Children and teens can be exposed to the following activities to keep them from wandering the streets, sitting in front of the television, hanging out with gangs, fighting, crime and other poor substitutes for family and destructive attempts to alleviate boredom and purposelessness:
1. Sports: Joining an organized local or school team.
2. Politics: Getting involved in the community to make a change or support a cause
3. Charity: Finding an area of passion or interest in which a youth can engulf him or herself.
4. The Arts: Music, acting and other creative pursuits can be great outlets for expression or repressed feelings.
5. Science: Many youths find wildlife, space and inventions fascinating once they are exposed.
6. Business and Entrepreneurship: Everyone has an idea and everyone likes money. Teach a child or teen the art of the deal and watch his or her mind go to work.
But youths can not learn of these options without a parent to expose and direct them. With a father gone and a mother at work, who will offer the education on these matters? It is incumbent upon stable men in every community to take time to help a fatherless child to learn about the options and opportunities offered by the world and show them how they can be part of a cause greater than themselves to fill voids and create excitement and purpose in their lives.