By Joe Lu
When I was growing up in Iowa I would leave the house after breakfast and not come home until dark.
It was a small town. Only 900 people. Most everyone knew everyone else. Most everyone farmed. Most everyone went to church.
As a result, we all pretty much shared the same values.
As a result, parents helped each other without asking permission ... something you basically never see anymore today.
One time I was at a homeschool meetup playing basketball. There were kids there from several families. We didn't know each other well, but I took the initiative of organizing and coaching the kids along.
Everything was fine...until one of the kids missed a basket.
“Let’s count it anyway”, the kid’s mother said.
I was confused, and then without thinking just said, “Well we can’t do that.” 😐
The mom looked at me like I had violated her right as a parent or something. 😡
Her son lost the game…and refused to shake my daughters hand and say, “good game.”
I was concerned, so then without thinking stood in front of him when he tried to walk away. Then I looked him in the eye and said calmly but firmly, “shake the other kids hands and say, “good game.”
The mom looked at me like I had violated her right as a parent or something and said, “Get out of my son’s face!” 😡
I was worried, so then without thinking I said, “I’m sorry!” 😥 --
It was a perfect example of Jonathan's Haidt's, "The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure" .
Children are anti-fragile.
If they are confronted by the challenges of life, they grow stronger.
If they are shielded from life, they atrophy.
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