It is no secret that youth in America face an unprecedented crisis. Gun violence in schools, bullying on social media, and drug abuse are all challenges that children have never before faced on such a broad scale. As a result, it is increasingly difficult for adults to craft solutions that will make permanent change. The First Lady wants to use her platform to be part of the solution.
First Lady Melania Trump has always been a champion of children. Her new initiative, “Be Best,” aims to help create a safe and healthy nation in which they can grow and flourish. The campaign focuses on three main pillars that the First Lady believes can make a positive change for children in the United States: Social and emotional well-being, responsible use of social media and its effects, and combating opioid abuse.
“It remains our generation’s moral imperative to take responsibility and help our children manage the many issues they are facing today, including encouraging positive social, emotional, and physical habits,” the First Lady said on the official website of the initiative.
Promoting Well-being
At the core of the “Be Best” campaign is the well-being of children: socially, emotionally, and physically. One of the ways that the initiative plans to do that is to promote “healthy living, encouragement, kindness, and respect.” These components will be the building blocks for children to grow into responsible, happy, and healthy adults. “With those values as a solid foundation, children will be able to better deal with the evils of the opioid crisis and avoid negative social media interaction,” the initiative spells out.
The First Lady visited the Palm Beach Children’s Hospital at St. Mary’s Medical Center in Palm Beach, Florida during the Easter holiday this year. She took the opportunity to thank staff and lift spirits, but also saw the resilience of the patients at the hospital. The “Be Best” campaign believes that the spirit of children, such as those she visited, is the future of our country.
Being Good Citizens Online
Social media use is another area that Mrs. Trump wants to work on to help our nation’s children. The First Lady believes “that children should be both seen and heard, and it is our responsibility as adults to educate and reinforce to them that when they are using their voices—whether verbally or online—they must choose their words wisely and speak with respect and compassion.”
Mrs. Trump convened a roundtable of leaders in the technology industry to discuss how to ensure that children remain safe while using online platforms to further their own personal development and make change in the world. Participants sat down to brainstorm ways in which they can both educate and empower parents and children. “We see online safety as the critical challenge of our digital age,” one participant said.
Combating the Opioid Crisis
The opioid epidemic is a national problem that the Trump administration wants to take on. The First Lady’s “Be Best” initiative focuses on the impact of opioids on children and families with children. The campaign “will support the families and children affected by this crisis, bring attention to neonatal abstinence syndrome, and help educate parents on the importance of healthy pregnancies.”
The opioid crisis in the United States is one of the priorities of her husband, President Donald Trump. In October of 2017, the President declared the opioid crisis a National Health Emergency and instructed his administration to “use every appropriate emergency authority to fight the opioid crisis.”
The announcement of the “Be Best” campaign was made by the First Lady in the Rose Garden of the White House earlier this month. She told the crowd gathered, “There is one goal to ‘Be Best’…and that is to educate children about the many issues they are facing today.” The First Lady recognizes that the world of America’s youth is very different than that of their parents and other adults in their lives.
She calls on all adults to help children learn how to handle and express their emotions in a positive and constructive way. She believes that teaching children how to manage their social and emotional health will keep them from engaging in destructive behaviors, such as bullying, drug abuse, and violence towards themselves or others.
Many have criticized Mrs. Trump for not taking action to establish clear priorities for her time as First Lady earlier. A private person, Mrs. Trump did not immediately move to Washington D.C. when her husband was elected President. She did not hire staff or establish an initiative upon becoming the First Lady.
But the First Lady was also carefully and thoughtfully observing. She sat with children at a children’s hospital in Palm Beach, Florida. She visited with victims of gun violence in schools. She included students in her research and brainstormed how to best address their needs.
We had an informative listening session at the @WhiteHouse today. Thank you to each of the students who shared their thoughts & feelings with me. I am listening and know that together, we can work towards ensuring children everywhere can be their very best. pic.twitter.com/tOzhJD6Qbj
— Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) April 9, 2018
“In my year as First Lady, I have also learned that it is oftentimes after a tragedy that you see the strength and resilience of the human spirit. I have been heartened to see children across this country using their voices to speak out and create change,” she said in a promotional video for the campaign. “They are our future and they deserve a voice.”
Now, a year and a half into Trump’s presidency, Melania Trump has shown that she is not only establishing her legacy. She has seen what was needed by America’s youth and is taking action to meet that need.
