There’s an expression that “…youth is wasted on the young’, I don’t know who said it. I never understood that until recently. Now? I’m determined to find a way to recapture that youth.
I’ve met people who have incredible internal energy without a need for caffiene, etc. I wish I had that natural energy still! They make me very jealous because I’m dependant.
I have to confess, its easy for me to pick up a habit. Like coffee, if the coffee is good I’ll likely drink too much. I have the same problem with whiskey 
though that vice is admittedly more fun.
Back to the topic though, youth being wasted on the young, truer words were never spoken. No matter how hard I try to impart my knowledge to my son, he resists. Such is the attitude of the young. I could save him so much time, energy and effort, and I hope one day he remembers what I’ve told him.
I wonder what it is about our youth that makes us so determined to reinvent the wheel and learn everything the hard way? Were you a rare one that learned from others in your youth?
How do you get through to your children? Do you think they listen? What’s the most important lesson you think there is for your child(ren) to learn from you?
I try so hard to teach my boy that if he’d just apply himself in school for another year or two, he’d easily be in the gifted program, where they spend more time on projects and less time on the busy work he hates so much. I try to teach him to be himself, but not to the point of embarassment. He has such a low self-esteem, and I wish I could figure that out. We encourage him constantly, but it seems futile. More than anything, though, I want to make sure my kids have ambition and always look to learn more and be better. I want to make sure they don’t fall into the trap of mediocrity. They’re both destined for greatness, if they’ll only apply themselves a little bit. If I can harness their energy and point it in the right direction, there will be two formidable little Marckwardts running this planet.
Right? I told mine that if he’d make A’s and B’s he would. Never have to worry about being grounded for grades, he says but then they would put me in Pre AP classes. Um so explain how that’s bad?? Geez.