A couple of years ago, Science News reported that the middle-class children of 2018 were willing to wait longer to get their sweet gratification in the famous “marshmallow test” invented by a Stanford University psychologist in the early 1970s.

In the test, the child can choose between having a small treat immediately (a marshmallow), or waiting and getting a better treat. The longer a child can wait, the better their chances for educational and personal success as they mature.

Earlier in the Covid pandemic, a news item reported that stress was making people more impulsive. Our need for reward was growing more immediate.

Maybe even the 4-year-olds of 2020-21 are less willing to wait for a treat.

So, what made the children of 2018 so good at holding their impulses at bay?

Maybe their teachers and caregivers were nurturing their sense of being accepted and valued.

What do you need to feel affirmed and valued – and rewarded – nearly a year into the pandemic?

Take three deep breaths and imagine the ways you might get fulfilled in the long-term, not just right now.

John Terauds, CPE Intern