That Hope is You

Writes Free Your Kids:

For the children who’ve been screamed at, belittled, mocked, and shamed; for the children who live in angry homes, enduring hostile conditions; for the children who suffer emotional, verbal, and physical abuse; for those suffering neglect and maltreatment…

For the children who have been raised in violence; for the children cowering in the corner; for the children who shy from physical touch because the only touch they know is a smack, a blow, a spanking…

For these children, there is hope. That hope is you. If nothing else, you can offer them a smile. A gentle word. That meeting of the eyes that acknowledges their situation. Any sort of connection that shows them kindness exists. One person can touch their heart and give them the strength to persevere. One moment, one look, one event that reaffirms to them that goodness exists. One small, subtle act that can give hope.

One person can do this. You can do this. You can make that difference. To a damaged child, one beautiful interaction can do so much.

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Written by 

Founder and editor of Everything-Voluntary.com and UnschoolingDads.com, Skyler is a husband and unschooling father of three beautiful children. His writings include the column series “One Voluntaryist’s Perspective” and “One Improved Unit,” and blog series “Two Cents“. Skyler also wrote the books No Hitting! and Toward a Free Society, and edited the books Everything Voluntary and Unschooling Dads. You can hear Skyler chatting away on his podcasts, Everything Voluntary and Thinking & Doing.