Note to Teens: Do Hard Things
Reader Comments
Do Hard Things is a Growing Movement
This is amazing. It's been less than a year and this idea has become a movement among young people that even President Obama is linking up with. Google on "do hard things" and see what comes up. Rebelling against low expectations is good for everyone, not just teens, but also for parents, teachers, pastors and even the elderly. If we are going to pull out of this bad economy we are all going to have to do hard things together as a way of life and as a national culture.
Doing Hard Things
Wow, its really insiring as a parent to read about kids that are not afriad to try something hard. I am of the sam mindset, that most parents have made life just too easy for teenagers and many do not appreciate thinking outside the box. These boys are inspiring.
what about the money?
I wholeheartedly agree with challenging kids as much as possible. What do you do when you can't afford flying lessons, or piano lesson, or any other kinds of lessons? My husband and I are both professional who make a decent wage. We have 4 kids, and trying to keep them all challenged is extremely expensive.
While these are all admirable thoughts, my mind can't help but drift to that single parent, or grandparent raising grandchildren who is stuck in a financial situation. How are these children challenged? There are more and more families meeting these descriptions.
It's as my neighbor said when we were discussing finances.
"It's rather scary when an engineer and teacher can't afford any extras for their kids."
Hard Things Can Put a Smile on Your Face
While I was never as high an achiever as these twins, I pushed myself beyond my comfort level in everything during my teenage years. Sometimes the physical pain (running the mile, for example) or anxiety (doing a solo at the a capella concert) was nearly unbearable. But after it was done, the smile on my face was unmistakable. The satisfaction of giving your best is worth much more than the effort put forth. If more parents realized this, they would help their dear children experience discomfort AND accomplishment beyond expectations.
As a result, my adult life has been rich and fulfilling. At 44, I still feel young and enjoy learning new things.
This what I was looking for all along
Growing up and in school, I was never challenged. From the time I turned 8 until the time I graduated, I was bored by the school system. I was in and out of shrinks' offices who said I had ADD or ADHD, or learning disablities but consistently I could pass their tests by leaps and bounds and the drugs they pumped me full of had no effect. And nobody understood. This is what was wrong with kids labeled chronic underachievers. There wasn't a challenge or an expectation to do more than what little was needed. I applaud these young men and their parents. It is not easy to break the status quo.
Yes, kids LOVE mastering the RIGHT hard things!
Obviously, you are not going to throw your kid into outer
space without a helmet type situations, but they THRIVE on things that
challenge and ENGAGE them! Running their own radio station?
And how!
Interviewing people for their own publications?
They love it!
Creating a recipe from 5 ingredients on the spot?
Willingly!
Going to adult meetings and participating?
You're on!
The list of challenges is endless. Teens MUST have challenges
or they will self-destruct. The key seems to be that you must
work with their own gifts and interests in some way.
Many adults are so terrified of the creative process that
they teach their kids that "nice" people don't ever
make messes. The central stage of creativity can look
very messy. When their kid has three muscle cars in
varying stages of rust and she insists on moving and
removing the car parts around between all three, most
parents are going to stomp all over the delicate and
necessary process. End result for any parent who can
bite their tongue is free car repairs for life! Or
the equivalent in some other field. A kid you can be
proud of.
The concept of teens having expertise is too scary for
some parents, yet teens can and do.
AFTER the creative process is over, you can junk two of the cars,
or get 'em to clean the icing off the kitchen, or insist that all the computer parts be neatly put away, but until then, you
ALLOW, which not many parents have mastered in their own lives,
so they can't do it in parenting, either. You also keep them
supplied with the next step items that they need, or help
them to earn it on their own. If a parent can't afford the
posterboard for the science project, they can always
find a new-looking packing box, and borrow scissors
and markers from the school!
The smile of a "must be happy" kid is forced and phony.
It will disappear. But the shining eyes of a learning
kid will keep glowing, on and on.
DOING HARD THINGS
When my son was 12, he started getting bored with daily activities and needed something interesting to do - he got into Ham (amateur) radio, and went as far as he could go until he reached the "Extra" Class License (the highest you can attain) - he accomplished this by age 14.
Still bored, he decided he wanted to learn to fly. We put him in flight school. He soloed before he was legally old enough to drive. Today, he is a flight instructor in California, teaching international students how to fly.
It IS important to do hard things when you are young - dont wait until you are older, you wont have the time or the energy to do them with as much gusto as you will when you are young.
Aboslutely!
Yes, challenge these kids. They are brilliant, able to do more than we could at their age with all the technology, etc. Think faster, move faster, better reflexes. School has not even tried to keep up, it is antiquated at so many levels. No wonder why kids sit in front of the TV, Video Games for hours or do drugs...they are bored!!!!
Whatever happened to responsibility? Give them responsibility. Teach them at home regardless of where they go to school. Any parent who believes their children are learning everything they need to in school is mistaken. Parents need to provide supplemental training at home at every level. My opinion... the problems grew when parents started putting their children in daycare and expected the daycare and schools to parent their children; the results are measured by their chidlren's mediocracy as citizens. What have we allowed to happen to the brilliant minds of our children? It is a shame, really an embarassment. Talk about socialism and brainwashing. We as parents surrendered our children to those ideas by letting the schools, TV's & Computer games raise our children without being forced. Time for parents to wake up and put the pressure on the school systems, put the pressures on ourselves for what we have created for our children. (Read The Dumbing Down of America). I see so many gifted children fall into mediocracy and underachieving citizens. Where do they get their motivations from? Who is supposed to supply this other than parents? Wake up parents!!! Participate in your children's lives, provide more learning experiences, expect more, let them make mistakes and learn from them before they become adults. Stop trying to shelter and teach them the skills they need to survive.
We have the freedom both to teach and to learn, we need to encourage our children to think outside the norm. Listen to their ideas. Value their opinions. Encourage their involvement. Promote their ideas. Why not hold them to a hirer standard? How else are we going to promote change for the better, let's face it... our country needs better!!!!
The twins did not just do a "hard thing" in writing a book.
They did a "smart" thing to get published at their ages. Their Dad did a "smart" thing to expose them to books for adults, as opposed to mere "curriculum" for kids.
Best of all, the twins have done a "fun" thing. There is no "fun" like succeeding at something. These two will likely be addicted, now, to hard charging and out-of-box thinking---for life. They may inspire lots of others as well.
Bravo!
