Protection or Problems?

May 142014
 
Hatched Egg

Hatched Egg (Photo credit: Mathew Knott) http://www.flickr.com/photos/93702253@N00/4652136186

 

Our children are now protected from papers marked with red pens,  other people’s food,  germs on the counter,  dirt at the playground and a whole lot of other things I just can’t think of at the moment.  While I appreciate the evolution of laws about seat belts and smoking I have to wonder whether we have distorted parental love and concern into something that is just not helpful to our children.  The desire to protect our children is normal and natural.  I just wonder if it has gone too far…. if perhaps we are creating more problems than we avoid.

If you don’t believe in the value of the struggle, then just ask your mother…. Mother Nature, that is!

Think about it:  little birds and chickens working hard to break out of their shells, salmon struggling upstream to spawn and helpless baby turtles inching toward the surf…Nature clearly favors those who struggle and adapt. Is that true of the rest of us?

 

 

On Enthusiasm

Apr 302014
 

 

"enthusiasm"

“enthusiasm” (Photo credit: TheAlieness GiselaGiardino²³)

 

“There is a real magic in enthusiasm.  It spells the difference between mediocrity and accomplishment.” ~ Norman Vincent Peale  

 

Have you ever noticed that enthusiastic people seem to enjoy life more than those who h0ld back?  It’s as if this trait makes colors brighter and experiences richer.  Maybe it really is the difference between mediocrity and excellence.

I suppose that makes sense; an early definition includes the phrase “having a god within.” Other definitions include words and phrases such as “a lively interest” or describes something that “absorbs or possesses the mind.”

Enthusiasm and passion seem to be natural in young children: running, jumping, yelling, laughing. In time that can change.  As we learn about “grown up behavior” we may skip a little less and sing a bit more quietly.  And when was the last time you didn’t want to fall asleep because you just didn’t want the day to end?

So if we learn to do a bit less running and jumping… and a good time doesn’t always result in grass-stains in the laundry, what does enthusiasm look like in grown-ups?  It may be quieter, but it may resemble habitual gratitude and chronic appreciation. Applause at the end of a performance?  Social media “likes” and “+”s?

How do you share enthusiasm with those around you?

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The Ladder of Success

Mar 042014
 

 

ladder

Photo credit: Wikipedia

“Success is a ladder that cannot be climbed with your hands in your pocket.”
Encouraging entrepreneurship and helping kids develop a strong work ethic is not simply about skills they will need to earn a living when they grow up.  Helping our kids take a hands on approach also feeds a sense of autonomy and fosters the confidence that their actions matter.  They learn to participate and that they CAN make a difference.
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Many parenting books seem to have pushed aside values, ethics and habits in favor of giving children self-esteem.  Unfortunately self-esteem can’t be given: it’s an inside job.  As parents we can help lay the groundwork by allowing our kids to practice attitudes and habits shared by successful adults, growing their own self esteem as they go!
 The Ladder of Success  March 4, 2014  Posted by at 4:32 pm Comments Off on The Ladder of Success
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