I saw a video today that really stood out to me and rang true on so many levels.

I was scrolling through my Facebook feed as normal, passing the cooking tutorials as well as the cute puppy videos, rolling my eyes at the typical political posts, and even lingering on the comical Jimmy Fallon or SNL skits.

But when I came across this specific video among all others, I stopped right at it and watched the whole thing.

It was about four minutes long (typically a rather long one for entertaining Facebook videos) but watching all of it was worth it.

The video was about little kids in school. Specifically, it was about the attitudes of people who work in kid-oriented environments.

The entirety of the video was narrated by a little boy (probably around kindergarten age) and began with him getting on the school bus in the morning. He greeted the bus driver in a very friendly manner and asked the man how he was doing that morning. Without looking up, the driver mumbles something and just motions towards the back of the bus, implying to the little kid to move along and just take a seat. You can instantly see the little boy's expression change. He initially stepped onto the bus so cheery and confident, ready to take on the day and brighten anyone's day just with his smile and personality. Then, just like that, as a result of the bus driver's response to the boy's genuine and friendly remark, his mood took a 180 degree turn. His big and bright smile slumped into a disappointed frown as he made his way to his seat.

The video continues to follow the boy's day throughout school, highlighting each interaction he has with a staff member of the school. As he walks into the school building he waves and smiles to the principal, asking how she is. The woman responds in a similar way to the bus driver, hurrying the boy along and brushing off his question. This pattern continues amongst the boy's teacher and even with the cafeteria lady.

All throughout the video there are examples of staff members belittling, ignoring, and consistently silencing the different children. They display cold and rude attitudes when it is hardly necessary.

You continue to see the effects these attitudes have on the young kids. They begin their school day optimistic and bright and end it feeling rejected, insecure, and hurt.

This video really speaks volumes to the impact those in the education field have on young children. They're learning and growing during this critical time and should not be constantly silenced and ignored. There's a difference between teaching a child discipline and reacting coldly just to do so. Far too often kids end up feeling discouraged due to an interaction with one of their staff members at their school. Negative words and actions stick with a person for a long while, especially a young child.

Educators serve as one of the most significant role models for young kids. Children are with their teachers 5 days a week for approximately 7 hours each day. That is a lot of time to be with one individual, so it's natural for them to become one of the kid's role models.

The video ends with showing the little boy's day done over again, but this time each adult he comes in contact with reacts in a different, more friendly and warm way. The difference in the children's attitudes as the adults respond more cordially is astounding. They go through their day much happier, lively, and confident.

This is such an important ideology to consider when working with young kids. It's important not to mute their voice and personality because it could lead to remarkable damage down the road. This is an essential age for kids, indulge in their unconditional happiness and humor their goofy jokes every once in a while, it can result in much more positive outcomes than you might initially think.

These children are the future. Don't take away their shine.