Growing up in the city, I spent years in Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts. Preparedness was a way of life. And it empowered me to have confidence in what I could accomplish on my own.
These days, it feels like kids are taught to have zero confidence and even less skills for preparedness. When something happens, they seem to be clueless. I even saw a video not long ago where the teenager could not figure out how to use a vegetable peeler!
And then we wonder why the world is falling apart.
Letting our kids do hard things is not cruel. It’s preparing them for future life. Making them think their way out of a situation helps them build confidence.
Yet while we can try to be hands off, we still need to provide them with the tools. And build them up even when they fail. This is something we struggle with as parents. Are they really ready for that knife? Can I trust the teenager to drive the car???
Small steps help build their confidence. And small steps allow us to feel like they are finally ready to do it on their own.
Daily chores are a great first step. While every kid complains about chores, it teaches them skills. Having a kid fix their lunch from scratch teaches them to cook. Giving them a pocketknife to carry around teaches responsibility. And it all teaches problem solving.
Creating a small EDC (Everyday Carry) kit that the kids carry around the homestead is a great start. You are providing them with the tools to fix issues alone and building responsibility in hoping they won’t lose it. And when they lose the first (or fourth) knife, don’t blow a gasket as they continue to learn.
We are shaping the future we want to see every day with our kids. Maybe it’s time to let them fail a little and build the confidence to overcome those failures.