Productive Struggle

After we reemerged from the COVID-19 pandemic, District 109, along with the other public entities in our community, began to notice a similar pattern. Children today tend to be more stressed, display increased amounts of anxiety, hesitancy when trying anything new, and have a fear of failing to the point where there is no space for perseverance. The growing concerns were quiet, but not unheard.

In January 2024, the District partnered with experts within our community to facilitate conversations about these topics at length and create an open dialogue for families. This included District 109's Director of Safety and Security, both Deerfield Police and Fire departments, Be Smart (an organization focused on proper gun storage), and Linking Efforts Against Drugs (LEAD) Illinois. This event sparked long-term conversations within our community and opened the door to bringing in more topics.

Community Advisory Council

At the beginning of the 2024-2025 school year, we organized and held our first of many Community Advisory Council meetings. These meetings bring together current and retired district employees, parents, and representatives from the Village of Deerfield, the Deerfield Police Department, the Deerfield Park District, and several local community organizations for breakfast and engaging conversations about the district happenings.

After our building-based parent discussions and the Chasing Childhood documentary screening, we brought this group together to ask what city ordinances or laws are inhibiting our children from being able to experience independence and practice self-reliance within our community. Following that question, we then discussed what actions could be taken to combat these restrictions. These meetings are ongoing and continue to help the district gather information from respected community members.

The Anxious Generation

During this time, Jonathan Haidt, a social psychologist, published his book, The Anxious Generation. Haidt believes the shift to a smartphone-based childhood has caused the rise of childhood depression and anxiety, along with living in a culture of safetyism and overprotection that has weakened the resilience of our kids. The revelations Haidt made in his book aligned with what we were hearing and witnessing within our own 109 students.

These rising concerns were something that couldn't be ignored. We kicked off this prolonged conversation with a Community Well-being and Safety Night, an event where we brought in local professionals to discuss the struggles our students were experiencing. This went well, but because we know children only spend about 13% of their waking hours in school, with the rest at home, we needed to expand the conversation across the entire community, not just in District 109.

In the fall of the 2024-2025 school year, we focused on deepening the conversation at both the district and community levels. We hosted building-based parent nights to explore key takeaways from The Anxious Generation and discuss which philosophies and ideas would best serve our community.

Coming Together as a Community

In the spring of 2025, we brought together a panel of educational and medical professionals to share their perspectives on the behavioral trends they observe in their fields. The panelists included pediatrician Jennifer Schott, M.D.; licensed clinical psychologist Lisa Novak, Psy.D.; South Park Elementary Principal Marcie Faust, Ed.D.; and Endeavor Health ER doctor Ben Feinzimer, M.D. We also invited community partners to join the conversation, including the Deerfield Police and Fire Departments, the Deerfield Public Library, the Deerfield Park District, the Village of Deerfield, West Deerfield Township, and Township High School District 113 (Deerfield High School).

As parents and guardians got settled in their seats, we asked them to fill out a ThoughtExchange (a survey questionnaire) of what they believed was the leading cause of their stress and anxiety. A resounding number of our families’ sources of stress were hectic schedules, limited family time, and the impact that technology is having. After revealing the results of the ThoughtExchange, our panelists dove into how they saw parental and child stress reveal itself in their lines of work and their recommendations for change. Each panelist suggested an organization they knew supported these efforts, which included the Wait Until 8th Pledge (a community pledge to wait until your child is in 8th grade before they receive a smartphone), Let Grow (an organization that promotes child independence), and a Safe Screens workshop run by our Deerfield Police Department.

The auditorium buzzed with conversation after we opened the room up and encouraged participants to visit community partners’ boards and write recommendations for each organization. In our final ThoughtExchange, we heard parents believe fostering resilience and independence in our children and limiting screen time would reduce stress; however, there were community barriers that prevented these concepts from being easily implemented. Using the suggestions provided by our families, the goal is to continue moving the needle forward and push for change that will alleviate stress in our parents, build confidence in our children, and overall create a Deerfield filled with kids riding their bikes to a friend’s house and parents taking deeper breaths of calm.

Related Initiatives

Let Grow

As part of our initiative to foster more childhood independence within our community, we have adopted the Let Grow Project. This organization is leading the movement for childhood independence by removing the belief that children are fragile and instead they are built to withstand challenges and persist through productive struggle.

Learn More About the Let Grow Movement

Chasing Childhood

In October 2024, District 109 held a public screening of the documentary, Chasing Childhood. It explores how modern parenting and societal pressures have drastically reduced children's freedom to play, explore, and develop independence. It examines the rise of overscheduling, academic stress, and parental control, questioning the long-term effects on children's mental health, resilience, and overall well-being. Through expert insights and real-life stories, the film advocates for a shift toward a more balanced approach—one that encourages unstructured play, autonomy, and the joys of childhood.

Watch the Documentary on YouTube

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