Today commemorates D-Day, the largest military action attempted back in 1944. It was successful. But so many lives were lost. And it didn’t end wars. This day makes me think about peace and how we achieve it. I believe that a more peaceful world begins with our children, who will be the caretakers of the future. And with us, their current caretakers.
We can teach them peace in simple ways. Avoid video games, TV programs, and movies that glorify war, violence, torture, and destruction. As parents, we can be an example by working out disagreements without our engaging in a shouting match and certainly without hitting each other. In fact, even hitting or punching each other in jest sends a message to a child that violence is a game. We can find something specific to do when we or our children get very angry, whether it’s listening to soothing music, reading a book, or sitting quietly in a special spot in the garden. Although no single negative action will necessarily create a violent person, replacing any one of them with a positive action heads a child toward a more serene adulthood.