Raising Sturdy Children? Consider This:

Nowadays, it seems like it takes forever for kids to grow up. Kids are educated for decades before they can obtain a job that pays a living wage. Plenty of youngsters remain in the home until their 20s or even 30s. This “perpetual childhood” is unique to modern times in which there are plenty of people, few jobs that pay enough to permit autonomy, and an egregiously high cost of living. However, parents who go out of their way to raise sturdy children prepare their youngsters to mature in a timely manner and embrace the responsibilities of adulthood.

Sturdy Children Look Forward to Transitioning Through Adolescence

Visit any American town or city. You are bound to find a surprisingly high percentage of teens and twenty-somethings living with their parents while underemployed or unemployed, spending most of their time playing video games and watching streaming videos on the internet. These are overgrown children in the bodies of adults.

We have reached this point mainly because a growing number of parents are failing to raise truly sturdy children. After all, it was not long ago when the vast majority of youngsters moved out of the house at 18, worked full-time, and considered themselves adults before hitting the age of 20. Sadly, parenting styles have significantly changed. Parents should be focused on raising self-reliant children who embrace the opportunity to be autonomous, earn their keep, and raise their own family down the line. Sadly, this is not the case.

Sturdy Children do not View Parents as Friends

The lack of sturdy youngsters is partially the result of parents attempting to be friends of their children rather than an authority figure. Youngsters need firm boundaries set by their parents at an early age. This means it is not wise to let a child play video games the majority of the day. In short, kids need some structure.

The sturdiest kids are those who have a true sense of responsibility, whether it stems from performing chores around the house, taking care of a pet, or lending a helping hand with the family business. The alternative is to befriend your youngster, give them what they want, and steer them toward a perpetual childhood that will culminate in a series of painful life failures in their 20s and 30s.

Let Your Kids Struggle at an Early Age

This story’s moral is the “age of coddling” has to come to an end if we are ever to return to raising a generation of sturdy children. If your kids are not challenged with new responsibilities or lack boundaries in the home, they will not have an opportunity to grow. Kids who fail to mentally and spiritually grow are not sturdy in any sense of the word.

Furthermore, kids who face challenges and boundaries at an early age will inevitably endure setbacks. These setbacks are valuable as they teach the importance of bouncing back from failure – a lesson that will prove quite helpful in adulthood. Check out our additional blogs on Parents’ role in the context of homework, and more parenting tips on our blog.