How to Introduce Hardship to Your Kids’ Lives
Yesterday I was listening to Front Row Seat with Ken Coleman and guest Dan Martell made this statement…
“Do I buy my kids anything they want? No. What they need I buy, what they want I go 50/50. Easy math. Whatever they want, go figure out a way to create value in the world.”
Dan was answering a question about how to avoid making life “too easy” for your kids. There’s another quote that’s popular on the internet these day…
“Hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times. Good times create weak men. And, weak men create hard times.”
You see that a lot these days, where well-meaning parents have effectively neutered their children by always being a safety net and never teaching them to stand on their own two feet. We all want our kids to have more opportunity and less struggle than we went through, but iron is forged in the fire. There has to be a balance.
I like Dan’s idea here of meeting our kids 50/50 on their wants. Obviously we should still give our kids gifts from time to time. Christmas, birthdays, and sometimes just because. But we don’t want to spoil them either. Especially when they get older and it’s not just toys they’re asking for.
So many young people these days expect a new car while they’re still in high school. They think they world owes them a six figure salary as soon as they graduate from a free college. They complain when they can’t own a home at 25 years old. Or worse, they end up living with their parents till they’re 60 because they can’t hold down a job.
What are some ways you have or plan to introduce hardship into your kids’ lives so they learn to be self sufficient?
This episode will debut on YouTube on February 4th or you can access it now on the free Ramsey Network app. I definitely recommend it!
