Tag Archives: parenting

college prep, parenting, Uncategorized

6 Ways to Prepare Your Child for College

 

college

Going to college is a huge milestone. It is a proud moment but it can be emotional and overwhelming at the same time. Therefore, you must prepare your child before they step inside those college gates.

Here are 6 ways you can prepare your child early for college.

Understand their Passions and Interests

Learning new things is more fun when kids are interested in them. Find out what your child is interested in and where their passions lie, even if they don’t necessarily fall within the realm of academics. It can be sports, drama, writing, etc.

For example, if the child is interested in sports, they can learn about the origin of a certain sport, evolution of the sport through history, etc. This will keep your child engaged and make learning more fun. Once they are clear what their passions and interests are, they can have a better understanding of which courses to pursue in college. Even if your child opts for online education, there are numerous opportunities to pursue the courses that interest them.

Prepare for College – Academically

Start preparing for college academics from junior high and high school itself. Some of the many ways your child can prepare for college include taking college-level courses and standardized tests as early as possible. This will help them enter college with more confidence.

Prepare for College – Financially

A college education is expensive, which is why you must be financially prepared for it when the time comes. The costs include tuition, course expenses, accommodation fees, personal expenses, etc. Start saving early and invest in saving accounts that offer tax benefits. It is also important that you keep an eye on the different scholarships that your child can apply for.

You can also consider online college education as an alternative instead of traditional college for your children. It is a popular, convenient and more affordable option as compared to traditional college.

Help Them Understand the Importance of College

The attitude of children towards higher education depends on the attitude of the parents. If you emphasize the importance of higher education, your child will take it seriously and focus on it through school and college. Start communicating the importance of higher education while they are still in school.

Teach Good Financial Habits

It is important to ensure that your child’s grades stay up and that they are focused on their academics, but it is equally important that they learn about work ethic and finance management early on. Encourage them to have a part-time job, about 10 hours a week, as it can help them increase productivity, learn time management, leadership and organizational skills. Teach them to be responsible about spending or saving their earnings. This will help them when they are in college.

Set a budget in high school and get them a checking account. Teach them to make smart financial decisions and ensure they know about credit card and debt early. If they plan to have a credit card, teach them to pay off the card each month and to only use it in emergency situations.

Expose them to Online College Courses

It would be a good idea to enroll your child in online courses while they are still in high school. This helps in saving money as the courses are inexpensive as compared to the college fee and your children can transition easily into college. Ensure that the colleges your child is considering applying to accept the coursework and find out what the basis of acceptance are (e.g., a minimum grade).

College is a great experience, so make sure your child is prepared for it, and is confident about treading that path.

_____________________________

About Author: Making education simple and easy to comprehend is Dana Jandhyala’s forte. She’s had a long career as an educator where she has taught in several different schools and institutes in multiple countries. Today, she helps students with personalized online tutorials by SchoolPage that help make concepts easy to understand, making learning fast and fun. She writes to help student s study better, and to coach parents so they can facilitate the success of their children. 

parenting

Tears, No Fears, When Saying Goodbye

 

goodbye

There will be tears. Oh yes, there will be tears. It doesn’t matter how many times it happens, when a child goes to college, you are witnessing the beginning of one of the most transformative periods in her life. You’re also saying goodbye to the nature of the relationship you once shared. But how do you say goodbye to them making sure they have the best start at their future they could have?

Have the talk

College life is different from living at home. For a lot of kids, it means taking on all kinds of responsibility they’ve never had to deal with before. It’s a good idea to prepare them on a few topics well in advance before they move. Financial advice such as dealing with credit, budgeting and the like. What they expect it to look like dealing with living essentials. Even safety. Make the scarier sides of college less scary for them.

Know what the college has in mind

You don’t want there to be problems as soon as you arrive on campus. For instance, know fully what items the College has banned students from bringing. Get an idea of campus events and talks on the first day so you can schedule to visit them in advance. There’s a lot of helpful information there. It might not all sink into your excited teenager’s head, but you can help them retain the important stuff.

Get your logistic hat on

Don’t forget that moving can be a rather big undertaking alone. Figure out in advance whether you can do it yourself or whether you might need the help of local moving services. Make sure you have a checklist of all their essentials, including any paperwork and documentation they’ll need to actually get their place in the dorms. You can save your child a lot of hassle and you can maybe distract yourself a little from your own apprehensions about saying goodbye.

Don’t pack everyone in the car

This is a mistake so many people make. Dorm rooms are not very big. If they’re moving into a student apartment, they’re normally not very big either. There will be a lot of families in attendance, so bringing the whole gang along can make things crowded and difficult. Let some say their goodbyes back at home.

Goodbye with love

It’s going to be teary; there will be hugs; there will be promises to call that quickly fall by the wayside. It’s important you leave things on a positive note and continue to play that note through their college experience. For instance, you can leave them with a care package with all their home essentials. It’s a good idea to do this semi-regularly as time goes on and to simply check in on them to make sure they’re acclimating well. Just the gesture alone is a sign that you love them and care for them wherever they are. Just don’t let the gesture get lost by the fact you do it twenty times a week.

Once you’ve done all of the above, there’s little else you can do but there for them. Call them, ask them to call you, keep in touch and keep them talking about their experience. Becoming their rock can strengthen that relationship and help them stay strong while far from home, too.

parenting

3 Ways You Can Help Your College Student

 

college student

If you are a parent of someone in college, then you are probably keen to help them as much as you can. As it happens, being able to help your college kid can be easier said than done. But if you know the main areas where they are likely to want help, then you can do a surprising amount to do so. In this article, we are going to try and give you a head start on that, by looking at some of the main areas where your college student might need a little assistance.

 

Subject Choice

For some children, it is perfectly clear what they should be studying. This is usually the case for those who already know what career they want to follow, or what kind of topics they are interested in. But for many others, it is much less of a clear cut issue. If your child is not entirely certain on which subject to study, then this is something you can probably help them out with quite well. To help them here, encourage them to focus on their strengths as well as their enjoyments. This should lead them to choosing the subject that is best for them as an individual.

Essay Writing

A big part of college education is essay writing, regardless of the subject matter. Many children struggle more than they expect to with this part of the education, particularly if they did not have to write so many essays in high school. The leap from one to the other is often quite difficult to deal with, and you should do everything you can to help them in that way. This doesn’t mean that you should help them actually write their essays, of course. But there are resources out there which can help by providing an essay and thesis writing service, and these can be useful for new college students who are struggling to make sense of it all. 

Social Life

College is not just about education – although that is obviously an important part of the whole experience. Most kids who go to college will soon find that it is also a deeply social experience, and one which they will probably be a little anxious about from time to time. If you really want to help your kids adapt to college life, then helping them with the social side of things might prove to be necessary. If necessary, work with them on developing their confidence and social skills, so that they feel better equipped to handle such situations. Or it might be the case that they just need to dive into the deep end and get stuck into it. For many people, this is actually the best way to go about it, and it is worth considering if you want to really help your college kid make the most of their experience.

parenting

Investing In Your College Bound Teen

 

investing

Most parents like the idea of investing in their child. By putting money aside for your child, as they get into adult life, you make their future much more secure. Unfortunately, though, a lot of parents put their investments into the wrong place. Young people have a very specific set of needs. And, these needs can usually be met with just a little bit of funding. So, before you start putting money away for them; you should think about a couple of other options. To help you out, this post will be going through three examples of ways you can invest in your teens. But, don’t expect a high return!

A Car

It can be hard when your child leaves home. A lot of kids decide to move far away from their hometown, in the pursuit of a more interesting life. This leaves a lot of parents feeling like they don’t see their kids enough because of their new busy life. It’s likely that you child feels the same way, too. So, to solve this little issue, it could be best to simply buy them a car. This will give them the chance to come and see you a lot more often. And, it will provide them with some great benefits in their normal life, too. Having a car makes it possible for people to look much further for jobs. And, it will make the little parts of their life, like shopping and visiting their partner, much easier, too.

Their Education

The price of education is going up throughout most of the world. Unfortunately, though, the need for a good education is getting more important. Life can be hard for a young person who has to work to pay for their education. So, taking this out of their hands can make their life much easier. The price of studying something like an MBA online, to enable your child to get into their own business, is much less than what they will make doing the job. So, it’s worth helping them at this point. And, then, when you’re all older; they can return the favor and help you.

Their Interests

The last thing to think about this list is the interests of the child himself. Often, people won’t find their dream job through education. Instead, that will be the platform they use to start exploring. And, they will find their true dreams through exploring the things they enjoy. Unfortunately, though, this will cost some money. For example, you might find that your child loves both animals and photography. In this case, sending them to enjoy a wildlife photography session with an instructor could inspire them to work harder on their passion. It’s easy to find things like this; if you know your child well enough.

Hopefully, this will inspire you to start working harder on your child’s future. Investing in your child isn’t the sort of investment you make to get money out of it. Instead, you do this a labour of love for your kids.

college planning

Preparing Your Child for College Life

 

college life

Up until this point, your child has always lived with you. Over the past couple of decades, you have become used to seeing them almost every single day: cooking for them, picking them up and dropping them off to the places they need to be, helping them resolve problems and offering a shoulder to cry on when things get tough. In short, you have organised their lives and provided constant loving support. Some of these things will never change. You will always be there for your child. But it’s time for them to grow up, fly the nest and learn to stand on their own two feet. College will probably be the first time that they will experience living independently. It is important that you help them in this transition so that they can develop into the independent, strong person you know they are capable of being. Whether your child is moving to a different state, or just down the road, you need to help ensure that they settle into their new college life as quickly as possible. There a few ways to do this, which we will run through now.

 

Preparation

It may be months until your child is due to pack their bags and leave, but it’s better to organise things sooner rather than later. There’s plenty that you can sort out well in advance.

Finance

Tuition fees and living costs should be settled on as soon as your child accepts a place at a college. But that isn’t the last of financial worries. You should ensure that they have a reliable student bank account set up. Different providers offer a whole variety of overdraft limits and interest-free lending periods, so shop around and find the best offer available.

Travel

How is your child going to get around when they get to their new home? Bus? Rail? Look up local travel networks and consider investing in rail cards or bus passes. Most networks will offer discounted rates for young people who can prove they are studying full time, so always make sure to ask. After all, every penny counts when you’re living on a college budget, right?

 

Living Essentials

Most student accommodation is furnished. But they generally won’t have much else. Your loved one is going to need basic things that they might not even think about coming up to moving out. Think of cutlery, bed sheets, toilet brushes. Everyday living essentials aren’t always the most exciting of things, but they are things that your child will need to live comfortably and cleanly. Understandably, the cost of these numerous small items mounts up. You might want to use coupons, which can be found on DontPayFull.com, to reduce the amount payable and make the whole process more affordable. As we’ve all learned from shows like Extreme Couponing, coupons (when used correctly) can cut the cost of your shopping dramatically.

 

Moving

Documents

Make sure that your child has all necessary identification documents on their person. You might be used to holding onto these for them so that they don’t lose them. But they are going to need them now that they will be living independently. You may also need college acceptance letters, enrolment details, accommodation booking confirmations and any other relevant receipts to make the process of enrolling and getting their keys as smooth as possible upon arrival.

Transport

Some students like to travel light, leaving most of their personal belongings back home. But the majority will want to take the majority of their things with them. You probably won’t be able to get all of this in your regular family car. So consider hiring a van or using a removal service. You don’t want their belongings getting damaged or broken in transit, and you also don’t want to take multiple trips back and forth to get them moved in properly.

Unpacking

Travel early in the morning, so you have a full day to help your child unpack. If left to their own devices, they will probably end up living out of boxes and suitcases for weeks; most will choose to go out and socialise over creating their nest.

 

Saying Goodbye

This is going to be the hardest part. Your child is flying the nest and emotions might run high. Consider going for a celebratory dinner in their hometown. Let them know how proud you are of them. There might be a couple of tears, but not to worry. You can visit at near enough anytime, and they’ll be home for the holidays.

parenting

13 Reasons Why Parents Should Pay Attention

13 Reasons Why

My teenagers are now adults. Thankfully, they both survived being a teenager and came through it unscathed. I was never more thankful than after I watched “13 Reasons Why”.

This is not an entertainment review blog. That’s not the reason I’m discussing the Netflix series here today. Although it was an excellent series with some bone-chilling twists and turns, it was more than entertainment. It was a shock to my system. It was a wake-up call for parents. It was a commentary on the dangers of today’s teenagers and how being connected either online or with smartphones can multiply and exaggerate what used to be typical teenage experiences.

The premise of this series is one teenager’s path from hope to hopelessness. That path was driven by 13 different people. Twelve teenagers and one adult who either weren’t listening, didn’t care, or felt pressured by peers to participate in hateful acts toward her. With each instance of cruelty, her hopelessness increases leading her to take her own life. But, she leaves 13 tapes behind explaining what led her to do it. Each person had no idea. Each came face to face with their own cruelty and neglect.

Every parent of a teenager should watch this series. But be warned—it will scare the bejeebies out of you. And it should. Because the world our children and our grandchildren live in today is cruel—crueler than it has ever been. Bullies exist everywhere and the bullying is magnified by social media and smartphones. Your teenager is most likely either being bullied or is bullying someone. Yes, I did say that.

It’s time for parents to start paying attention. Don’t bury your head in the sand and say it can’t happen to my child. Don’t turn away and make comments like, “everyone is bullied.” Most of us were bullied as children in one form or another, but trust me, it was nothing compared to the extent of what is happening today.

I am not a psychologist. I’m just a parent. I raised two teenagers. Based on my own experiences, here are 13 reasons why “13 Reasons Why” parents should pay attention to this series:

  1. Your teenager will experience back-breaking peer pressure. Their peers will pressure them to do things they might not normally do on their own. Peer groups have a great influence on your teenager’s actions. Give your teenager the tools he or she needs to stand up to bad behavior and bullying.
  2. The stress and competition around the college process is overwhelming. There is no greater time for students to feel pressured and stress from their peers and adults than during college prep season. Some is self-inflicted stress, but they will also succumb to comparisons over GPAs, test scores, college choices, and college acceptances. Encourage your teen to pursue his or her own path and be proud of their own accomplishments.
  3. Kids are cruel; especially teenagers. It’s a fact of life. It starts in grade school—the teasing, the bullying, the “I’m not your friend” comments. It only intensifies during the high school years. A strong self-esteem and supportive family can help your teenager overcome the feelings of inadequacies that come with this type of cruelty.
  4. If you don’t know the signs of suicide, you can’t help. Educate yourself. Get information online. Go to parent seminars. Talk to the school and ask what resources they have in place to help students. Finally, don’t ignore the signs. If you see your teenager needs help, don’t be afraid to get it.
  5. You should make it clear in no uncertain terms that bullying will not be tolerated. If you don’t want your teen to be bullied, you should make it clear that you will not allow bullying from your teen. If you see it happening, confront it. If you see it happening to another teenager, inform their parents. Get involved and encourage discussion.
  6. If you don’t talk about this now, it will only get worse in college. Now, while you have them at home, is the time to confront these issues of bullying, teen suicide, social media behavior and mental illness. Once they are away at college, it’s harder to see the signs and even harder to help.
  7. Social media is a game changer. Years ago, bullying was done face to face. Now, it happens online and with the use of smartphones. Social media allows bullies to remain anonymous and harm their victims without having to be face to face. It also makes it harder to fight and diffuse the bullying.
  8. Texts, group texts, Snapchat and other means of communication make bullying much worse. When you watch this series, you will see how group texts and social media contributed to extending the bullying from one student to an entire school. Talk with your teenager about the danger of this behavior and monitor their smartphone and social media activity.
  9. The suicide rate among teenagers is alarming. According to the Center for Disease Control:

    Suicide is the SECOND leading cause of death for ages 10-24; suicide is the SECOND leading cause of death for college-age youth and ages 12-18; more teenagers and young adults die from suicide than from any disease COMBINED; each day in our nation, there are an average of over 5,240 attempts by young people grades 7-12; four out of five teens who attempt suicide have given clear warning signs

  1. Most teenagers have a side their parents see and a side their peers see. You may think everything is fine because your teenager tells you it is. But appearances can be deceiving. Take the time to listen, communicate and spend time with your teenager. Make your home a safe space where they feel free to talk about any subject without judgment or condemnation.
  2. Do not let your teenagers watch this without you. There are explicit rape scenes, nudity, and an actual depiction of suicide in the series. If you feel they must watch or are already watching, watch with them and have discussions after each episode.
  3. Kindness won’t stop a person contemplating suicide, but cruelty certainly contributes. It’s clear that a person contemplating suicide will require more than kindness to change their mind. However, the amount of cruelty and hatred a person endures can be a contributing factor. Your teenagers should be aware of this and you should make it clear that you won’t tolerate any hate speak or cruel words directed towards others.
  4. Your teenager’s peers shape their lives. Our friends dictate our actions. That’s why it’s important to choose our friends wisely. It’s important for your teenager to have a few close friends they can confide in and trust. These friends will help counteract any negative input they receive from others. My teenagers’ friends were literally their lifeline in high school and college. Help them choose friends who will raise them up and not tear them down.

If this isn’t enough, read this post from a parent whose son attempted suicide and watched the series: “13 Reasons Why” Scared the Shit Out of Me—And It Should Scare You Too!

Now go watch “13 Reasons Why”. But fair warning—it’s going to scare the bejeebies out of you. At the very least it will make you pay attention. At the very most, it could help you save your teenager’s life.

parenting

You’re a Parent of a Teenager: April Fools

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april fools

Teenagers have to be the biggest April Fools joke of all. You are handed this sweet, bundle of joy and 13 years later it turns into a hormonal nightmare–complete with fits of anger, slamming doors, shouts of “I hate you”, mood swings and silent treatments.

This intensifies during the college prep process as stress levels rise and both parents and teenagers morph into monsters at times. But when and why does this happen?

Testing time is stressful. Parents nag students about studying. Students stress about the fact they feel their entire future depends on scoring well on this test. Just know it will happen and be prepared for tears and outbursts (on both your parts).

During college visits students have one idea and parents have another. For the student, it’s an emotional process. For the parents, it’s a fact gathering mission. Stay calm and don’t expect your student to have the same response you do at the end.

Writing the essay is nail-biting 101 for both parents and students. It’s best to step back, pray, and trust that it will get done. Do not–I repeat–do not give in and write the essay for them. If need be, seek professional essay writing help.

Discussing the money with your student who thinks you’re an ATM can be torture. They may not understand but you have to put your foot down on what you are willing to spend. Don’t give in to tears and emotional pleas. Be firm–you’re the parent.

Waiting for college decisions put every member of the family on edge. Checking the mailbox or email account on a daily basis becomes a part of your life for a few weeks (or even months). Be prepared for the highs and lows that accompany this time honored tradition.

Parenting college-bound teenagers might have some correlation to the origin of April Fools.

According to “What is April Fools Day and Why Do We Celebrate It”, some say the French Revolution played a part in the long-standing tradition. April 1 is the anniversary of the event…you may ask why is this linked to comedy?

Historians say back on April 1, 1789, after the French people deposed King Louis XVI, King George III of England made a joke which has continued the tradition until today. He pretended to step down. The peasants took to the streets to celebrate their new freedom..and then were arrested and imprisoned.

Before you take to the streets and celebrate your newfound freedom, be prepared for the labor pains and those late night panic calls, those “I need help” calls, and those empty nest feelings. Raising happy, healthy, successful teenagers might be the greatest April Fools joke of all.

admissions, parenting

College Rejection Meltdown

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college rejection

We’ve all been there. We don’t want our children to be rejected. When someone rejects them, it cuts us to the core. How could anyone reject my sweet little girl? How dare that college turn their admission request down!

But some parents take it too far. They call. They write. They beg and plead. They offer bribes and more. In the hopes of changing the college’s mind about their admission decision.

It’s understandable. You feel your child’s pain. You don’t want them to be hurt. You want to fix it. You’ll do anything to remove the feeling of disappointment. Unfortunately, you only make matters worse. You are helping more than hurting.

Rejection and disappointment are a part of life. Your child must learn this before moving on into adulthood. Sometimes we lose. Sometimes we don’t get what we want. Being a parent isn’t synonymous with being a fixer. We should be helping our children face disappointment, deal with consequences, and learn to adjust life’s path if it takes you in a different direction.

The next few months in a college bound teenager’s life are going to be filled with excitement, drama, and often disappointment. Many will get into their first choice college. Some won’t. Some will have to readjust their plans and consider a 2nd or even 3rd choice college. Some will be rejected and won’t be able to take the college path at all. But it’s not which college your child attends that defines them. What defines them is how they respond to each of them–as an adult or as a spoiled child.

More important, how will you respond? Will you rant and complain to the college? Will you blame the college (or your child) for any rejections? Will you make your child feel insignificant or unsuccessful because they didn’t live up to your expectations?

Here’s a satire piece that’s funny, but a tad scary. You see, I’ve watched these parents in action. They plow and bulldoze their way through every difficult situation, not giving their child the opportunity to face it and overcome. Take the time to read this. Chew on it for awhile. Pass it along to other parents.

Let’s not be that type of parent–you know the one. The one who gripes, complains, threatens and harasses anyone that keeps you and your child from getting your way. Teach your child to self-advocate and face life’s disappointments with dignity. Don’t be like this parent:

Satire–A College Rejection Meltdown in 5 Emails

It starts out like this:

Dear Mrs. Williams:

While I certainly understand how disappointing it can be to receive undesirable news, I did want to follow up on your most recent email to reassure you that there was not “some kind of mix-up” in Elite University’s decision to decline your daughter’s admission. We truly regret that this decision has resulted in the unfortunate return of your gastrointestinal condition, in addition to your severe and persistent rheumatoid arthritis in your big toe.

While Ingrid is undoubtedly a very bright and talented young woman, please understand that we simply have more qualified candidates than we can admit. All admissions decisions are final, and we cannot accept requests for reconsideration.

Sincerely,
Celeste McDaniels
Dean of Admission, Elite University ‘83

Read more . . .

parenting, Uncategorized

Parents, Money and Minors: Credit, Cash and Your College Bound Kid

 

money

Getting your kids through college is always going to be a financial challenge for many parents and there are plenty of decisions that have to be made about how much monetary support you should provide and when they need to take up the slack.

Here is a look at some of the answers to those vital questions, with insights on potential solutions and tips on how to decide what level of support you can and should provide to them when they heading off to college. Plus some tips on getting financial help and why you need to try and protect your credit score.

Student life on credit

One of the best lessons to teach your kids before they are college bound is to try and instill some financial discipline into them so that they understand the need for budgeting and how to make their money stretch as far as possible.

That is going to be important during their time at college when there will be plenty of legitimate expenses to deal with, and some spending like funding their social life, that will all need to come out of the one pot of cash available.

If you are considering the idea of a credit card as a funding idea, you have two options available.

You can either suggest they apply for a card in their own name if they can get accepted, or you could agree to add them as an authorized user on one of your own existing cards. It might also be possible to agree to co-sign on a student card, which means you are going to be equally responsible for the debt accrued on that card.

Talk to your kids about building a credit history and the responsibilities of paying off the balance, especially when you consider how long it will take to repay the balance if you only make the minimum payment each month.

If you want to learn more about managing your credit card balances you can visit Consolidation.CreditCard.

Reckless habits will carry consequences

If your kid is college bound they should be more than ready to take on the responsibility of managing credit and also understand the ramifications both now and in the future if they manage to get themselves into debt.

A good credit history has always been important and it opens doors to the sort of finance you need to get on in life, such as getting a mortgage to buy a home. Want you don’t want then to do is run up debts at college that they can’t deal with, leaving their credit score damaged and their immediate financial prospects looking a lot less positive.

Get help

There are no two ways about it, getting your child through college is an expensive business, which is why it makes sense to see if you can get some financial help to make things a little easier.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) will help you to determine how much financial aid you should be able to claim.

It might prove an arduous task filling in the paperwork, but it is an important document and the money you get could make all the difference to your family finances.

________________________

Today’s guest post is from Anthony Farmer. He writes about finances and kids; saving for them, teaching them the value of money as well as real life skills they need. He is a Dad and an educator who writes for a range of parenting sites.

parenting

Are You Raising a “Snowflake”?

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snowflake
PHOTO: MARTIN KOZLOWSKI

I don’t often editorialize here, but I feel it’s important to address this topic. College preparation is more than academics, essays, volunteering, and extracurriculars. Parents should be concerned with the overall child—do they have the tools to become independent adults, make good choices, and embrace diverse opinions.

Unless you’ve been hibernating under a rock, you know “snowflake” is a term being used to describe college students who can’t seem to cope with life. Apparently, we are now in the “snowflake generation.” The term was one of Collins Dictionary’s 2016 words of the year — today’s young adults, viewed as being less resilient and more offense-prone than previous generations.

The Financial Times defined it as “a derogatory term for someone deemed too emotionally vulnerable to cope with views that challenge their own, particularly in universities and other forums once known for robust debate” and noting that the insult had been aimed at an entire generation.”

It’s clear. We are coddling our young people. We, as parents, have made it our business to protect them from life in general. This has become especially clear in the university environments where they should be challenged to think, debate, and be open to exploring all theories and opinions.

Colleges are now notifying students that the content of a lecture might upset them. Events and activities are cancelled because they might offend someone on campus. Safe spaces abound for students to deal with their emotional pain. If disappointed, they are allowed a “pass” for class or a retake of a test.

How did this happen?

Unfortunately, we have no one to blame but ourselves. We have taught our children that the world is a dangerous place. Parents go to great links to eliminate all risk from their children’s lives. Games like dodgeball are no longer allowed in schools. Safeguarding has become a top priority in every aspect of our children’s lives. Parents interfere with teachers, coaches and all types of authority, to keep their children from suffering any consequences of their actions.

Author Simon Sinek explains that as a result of social media and bad parenting strategies, people born after 1984 are entitled, narcisstic, self-interested and lazy. In a viral video he said: “They were told they were special all the time. They were told they could have anything they want in life, just because they want it… some of them got As not because they earned them but because teachers didn’t want to deal with their parents. They got participation medals for coming last. Then they were thrust into the real world and in an instant found they were not special, their parents can’t get them a promotion, they get nothing for coming in last and can’t have it just because you want it. In an instant their self-image is shattered.”

The Spectator summed it up in a recent article: Generation Snowflake—how we train our kids to be censorious cry-babies. “We — adult society — have created this generation. We protect children from criticism and suspend our critical judgment in order to massage their self-esteem. We scare them rigid by ‘catastrophising’ an endless list of fears. We make them hypervigilant about potential abuse from adults and their peers. We encourage them to equate abusive words with physical violence. And we have, in short, shaped our own overanxious, easily offended, censoriously thin-skinned Frankenstein monster. We created Generation Snowflake.”

How can we change this pattern?

Act now! Make it your goal to teach your college-bound teenager how to self-advocate. Teach them life skills like coping with disappointment, facing consequences of their actions, being financially responsible, and thinking freely and forming their own opinions. When they fail don’t rescue them. When they succeed because of hard work, acknowledge them. Don’t reward poor behavior or laziness just because they “tried”. Teach them the world doesn’t owe them anything; it’s their job to earn respect, success and independence.

Get this book: Toward College Success: Is Your Teenager Ready, Willing and Able? Read it and apply its tactics. When your student goes off to college they will be prepared for the real world which can sometimes be cruel; but a learning environment preparing them for adulthood.