Comments on: Grooming Our Kids for Failure.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 21:06:00 +0000

Thank you! I completely agree with you, Craig. I found your article while searching for possible references for a thesis on this very subject. Children today are protected from any and every possible negative in life. We will have an entire generation of young adults who do not know how to deal with failure if we do not stop this behavior now!

From the Hoosier state in the great USA

By: Susan Helene Gottfried

Susan Helene Gottfried — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 22:36:00 +0000

Here from the Carnival of Family Life and … well, what can I say? My husband and I both firmly believe that there’s lots to be learned by failing (sometimes more than from winning, as I told my daughter last night) and that if you never try, you’ll never grow.

Then again, I’m the sort of person (not necessarily just the sort of parent) who believes in throwing lots of ideas at the wall and then pursuing the ones that, like perfectly cooked pasta, stick.

By: Karen

Karen — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 17:46:00 +0000

The ironic thing in your post is that at the end of the day the dad reads stories that feature his children as heroes. If we stop adequately teaching our children, the next generation of dads won’t be able to read!

Here in the US this “protection of kids” has gone even further. Many school systems have banned tag on playgrounds. The children may trip and fall or get hurt. One school system I know has even banned running of any sort during recess. They are allowed to play soccer, but must walk to do it! And yet we complain about the childhood obesity problem.

When I was a kid you got a GRADED report card, you fell and broke your arm, you chipped your teeth on the metal monkey bar/jungle gym….and remarkably you grew up “normal.”

Found you through the Carnival of Family Life. Bookmarking you now.
Karen–London, Ohio

By: Don West

Don West — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 20:27:00 +0000

My God, it’s happening in Australia too!?!

I was planning on escaping to Australia when I retire.

The end is near I suppose. I saw all this coming years ago. That’s why I don’t have children.

Two parents can not fight an entire society of mixed up people.

By: Ms. Q

Ms. Q — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 17:39:00 +0000

I don’t have children but I was raised with the old-fashioned report card and the idea that an “A” takes more effort than a “C” and wow, an “A” was better to get than a “C”!

Grades and ranking are a good way to prepare a child for the real world which is nothing but judgments and rankings! Most of the world out there doesn’t care what a nice person you are – they want results and they judge you by the results you produce.

I also think that competition is a good thing – if everyone wants to do better, it pushes the mark that much further. I am not saying that there aren’t any bad effects to competition but generally I think that a person’s striving to be better makes things better for everyone.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 04:17:00 +0000

Brilliant Point Craig!
I have worked with children throughout many fields & will always continue to work in various scopes & needs with them. Unlike the old days, we are not standing over them with canes & smacking them over the desk. What they need is for them to be aware, not sheltered. Making them oblivious can do harm, but opening them up to everything can too (fully aware of that too). BUT, ‘WE’ need to realise, ‘WE’ are the ones doing it. RESPECT, the children & ‘WE’ need to open our blinkers, not them.
Hope you had a Wonderful Easter Craig!
Cheers
Carmon ()

By: TherapyDoc

TherapyDoc — Sun, 08 Apr 2007 02:18:00 +0000

Craig, good point, except that a) kids develop at different “ages”, one 7 year old is not the same as another, will peak at 8 or maybe 11, maybe 30, for all we know. And b)what they teach in schools is often irrelevant and boring, so when kids space out, then do poorly, they’re to blame (now it’s immediately dx-ed ADD or better, ADHD, btw). And of course, the eating metaphor is perfect. Just eat it, kids. It’s good for you. Sorry, the post was simply too good not to rant about. GREAT job, whether we agree or not, impt pts for discussion.

By: Craig Harper

Craig Harper — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 12:35:00 +0000

Hi KB,

hope you enjoyed the seminar and thanks for your thoughts.

Cheers.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 11:34:00 +0000

Craig

Just so you know I just left your seminar and am already on the site. I couldn't agree more with your comments. I have friends who with or without knowledge of it have projected their body imagine onto their young daughters and seem to ignore it as being a potential issue.

I work in an environment where I am faced with predators of children. My collegues let their work environment and experiences affect how they raise their children. They do not let their children attend sleep overs, they do not trust babysitters, they do not allow their children to do things every other child gets to do. Yes they are trying to protect their children from harm but in the process their children are resenting them for being strict, they aren't being trusted to make choices for themselves and they are not learning basic social skills.

Why not educate our children and ensure that they know what to do is placed in a situation and build strong confident little people to say 'thats wrong' 'don't do that' but instead we hide them from the world because of our own fears.

KB Melb

By: Craig Harper

Craig Harper — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 02:08:00 +0000

Hi Sarah,

tell your son Uncle Craig said

"DO YOUR HOMEWORK KID!!"

Cheers. ( )