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Email of the Day

Learning To Fly
09/29/2016

Dear Dr. Laura:

I've often heard you talk about how kids need to EARN things for themselves, and not just be handed them on a silver platter.  

Today, my son, 19, was in a friend's car with two other friends.  They got a flat tire.  He called me for help, but instead of driving there and making it all better for them, I thought he should try to figure it out himself.  I gave him some guidance, but I didn't pay for it OR fix it for him.  

So, it wasn't a situation where he needed to fix his own mistake, but it was a chance to him to learn how to fly on his own when something unexpected happened.  And guess what?  Although it was really hard for me not to just swoop in and take care of everything, I'm glad I didn't - because he figured it out himself.  He was proud of his accomplishment....and so was I.

Ariane
Tags: Attitude, Behavior, Motherhood-Fatherhood, Parenting, Personal Responsibility, Raising Boys to Men, Values
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