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It’s no doubt our world has changed, and our lifestyles are more hectic and fast-paced
than ever before. Coupled with the failures, peer problems, disappointments, etc., that
children run into along the way, it makes it hard for parents to sit on the sidelines and
just let things happen. And often, parents feel a sense of guilt for not having more time
with their children, so doing more gives them a sense of relief and creates what they
think is a moment of connection with their child. However, when children do not have
to face everyday life challenges and are not given opportunities to learn daily life skills,
they will be forced to depend on their parents even into adulthood. Dr. Mel Levine,
author of “Ready or Not, Here Life Comes,” refers to this as the gateway to “work-life
unreadiness.”

Children today are presented with varying types of stressors in almost every aspect of their lives. The infamous “bar” has been set so high that in order to achieve it, children are asked to forgo “fun” and work towards superiority in everything they do. And while goal setting is an essential skill for future success, unrealistic expectations have led to increased rates of anxiety and depression in children and teens. This, unfortunately, is counter-effective to confidence-boosting and productive learning. Therefore, children and teens must be given opportunities to feel boosts of endorphins, which leads to improved mood and learning.