Children with mental health issues numbers - www.icareguam.org

Did you know according to the Children's Defense Fund, (2010), 50% of children in the welfare system have mental health issues.

Click the link below for more information:
http://www.icareguam.org/statistics/

Traditions, rituals have their benefits - www.icareguam.org

PDN Article: December 14, 2013

This is the time of the year when family traditions and rituals are most celebrated and a great opportunity for young people to learn about them and to practice these traditions and rituals.

Tradition is the process of passing on culture or customs from one generation to another. Family traditions connect young people to their faith, culture, family, and their identity as to who they are. Many family traditions and rituals are fun things to do.

These things can be patterns of behavior of activities that families do together on a regular basis or a certain food that a family likes. They are purposeful activities repeated together as a family and when done right, family traditions create good feelings and special moments to remember. Enjoying this time together as a family will create positive experiences and memories that would last a lifetime for young people.

Tradition can serve as reminders of events that have shaped your family and your children of things you have done together. Each time you do that activity or event, it reminds you of all the experiences you've had on previous times of that event or activity.

• Personal identity: Family traditions and rituals have numerous benefits to young people, one of which, it provides a source of identity. Tradition tells a story about a family. It can teach children where their family came from or give them insights into their cultural or religious history.

Traditions, and the stories that they tell about one's family, play an important role in shaping a child's personal identity. Studies have found that children who have an intimate knowledge of their family's history are typically more well-adjusted and self-confident than children who don't.

Identity formation is most especially important for a teenager. It helps to know you "belong" when you are trying to figure out who you are, which is a major task of the adolescent. A family that encourages a teen to be a part of the family and its traditions provides a strong foundation for teens to stand on when they're searching and defining their sense of self.

• Sense of belonging: Family traditions give every member of the family a stronger sense of belonging. Being a part of a family is more that living in the same home or having the same last name. It is about relationships and family bonds. Since family traditions are something you do together, they strengthen the bonds you have between each other, creating a stronger sense of belonging to the family.

Studies have also found that families that engage in frequent traditions report stronger connection and unity than families that haven't established rituals together. Traditions help family members get to know and trust each other more intimately, and create a bond that comes from feeling that one is part of something unique and special.

• Sense of security: Family traditions offer young people a sense of security. Every day, young people face some difficult issues. Knowing that he or she is secure and has a family to turn to is a powerful tool to use against negative peer pressure, drug-use influences, going through losses, etc.

Family traditions and rituals can provide comfort and security to children, even if a main source of their stress comes from within the family itself. For example, a study found that "families of alcoholics are less likely to transmit alcoholism to the next generation if they maintain the family dinnertime ritual and do not allow a parent's alcoholism to interfere with their dinner time together."

• Family values: Another important purpose of traditions and rituals, is to teach and reinforce values, whether religious or secular. Through daily family prayer, the importance of faith is reinforced. Through nightly bedtime stories, the value of education, reading and lifelong learning is implanted; and through regular family dinners or activities, the importance of family unity is instilled.

Showing young people what having the ability to love is all about, happens naturally when you spend quality time together -- like doing a traditional family activity.

Guam has many rich family traditions and rituals. A few for example are: the novenas for Baby Jesus during Christmas, which many families celebrate together and special meals are prepared. Another is when loved ones passed away, their lives are celebrated by families and friends coming together for memorial service, such as attending Masses and the rosary.

Many family traditions have been passed down through multiple generations. They can be simple everyday traditions like family dinners, holiday get-togethers and bedtime stories. These positive childhood memories can help make your child a happier and more generous adult.

Continuing family traditions and rituals in your own family is a great way to teach children about your family's cultural and religious history, thus adding to their personal identity. Do not make the mistake of thinking that because your child is older now, you should no longer adhere to the rituals that help define your family. You still need them and so does your children.

Annie F.B. Unpingco, LCSW, is administrator of I Famagu'on-ta at the Guam Behavioral Health and Wellness Center.

Build spiritual values in our children - www.icareguam.org

PDN Article: Dec 6, 2013

Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, a Swiss-American psychiatrist who's well-known for her work on near-death studies and on death and dying, theorized that all human beings are composed of four quadrants. This four-quadrants model consists of the physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual parts of the person.

The physical quadrant emphasizes one's physical body, health and the need for physical, loving touches for growth and development throughout one's life. The emotional quadrant includes one's emotions and feelings that allow one to experience life.

The intellectual quadrant is about cognition, ability to reason and the drive for knowledge. The spiritual quadrant is the sense of self, set of values and beliefs, quest for meaning in one's life and the capacity to reflect and connect with the world.

All four quadrants are important and the task is to maintain a balance between all four. If one or more quadrants are neglected over a period of time, problems may start surfacing for the individual.

A particular quadrant that is often neglected and needs to be nurtured, especially nowadays, is the spiritual quadrant. This quadrant is very important in the young person's life. It is about making sense of one's life, having a deep sense of worth and understanding one's unique role and how one fits with others and the environment.

Spiritual values

Spiritual values were a key motivator for pioneer work with children and youths in the 19th and 20th centuries. Organizations such as the YMCA and the Boy Scouts and Girls Scouts were founded on spiritual values and their leaders were motivated to bring these understandings into young people's lives.

With attention to spirituality, children and young people are able to develop an integrated sense of self, self-respect and a healthy identity. Without this opportunity, children and youths are more likely to be easily swayed by peers and persuasive ideological approaches because they have no core beliefs and value systems to act as a compass or provide direction.

Providing opportunities for children and young people to express themselves through art, poetry, music, sports, education and community events help inspire them to focus on the higher or deeper aspects of themselves and to explore and develop their spiritual qualities.

Powerful experiences

The sense of achievement in conquering fear on a high-rope course or paddling a canoe through difficult waters can be powerful experiences and, with skilled instruction, can help children and young people gain a sense of worth and self-esteem.

Children and young people can learn to have a sense of calm within themselves by providing them with opportunities to meditate, to pray, to reflect and experience quiet moments. They can learn to experience these moments as opportunities to retreat and recharge so that they can engage in life in a more creative way.

This is especially important for young people who may be distracted, distressed or displaced, who need to find a substantial anchor within themselves.

We need to teach the "butterfly effect" -- that a small action somewhere can have massive results elsewhere and that people should never underestimate the effect they have on each other. A person can transmit something through a phrase, an action or a word, which can either help young people or turn them away.

Spirituality is about being fully human. It is allowing children and young people the opportunity to learn about themselves at the deepest level, to acquire skills to have calm and energy within themselves, and to discover their unique contribution to those around them and to wider society.

Annie F.B. Unpingco, LCSW, is administrator of I Famagu'on-ta at the Guam Behavioral Health and Wellness Center.