RE: Fostering Authentic Camaraderie and Healthy Competition
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My time to educate is almost up. My son turns 17 this year and went through regular school life with peers. He is a social kid and gets along well. He likes going to school in the sense that he values what happens there in a positive way and ignores what bothers him. The times of struggle are long over, which happened in elementary school and the 5th and 6th grade. Just recently I've heard him talking online to another young man and how he reflected about his early years. I skip the details to respect his privacy.
We made sure that he got a life outside school, he became a boy scout and two years ago he got his youth license to become a group leader himself. Due to online time, gaming and films he got interested in learning Japanese, all on his own. He purchased books and took an online course. I think he is as smart as smart one can get, having adapted to the world he lives in. Does he live out his full potential? I don't think so. But then: who does?
I very much enjoyed reading what you revealed about your own family. From what I think, the nuclear family needs support from other people of all ages, you know the saying "to raise a kid you need a whole village". Those times seem to have been gone.
Very interesting what you say because kids today rarely combine outdoor activities and in contact with nature as being a boy scout like your son with online games and the use of technology, most of those I know who like online games, as well as your son who has even learned Japanese thanks to it do not leave their homes and less than their room glued to their computer. It is true that no one takes advantage of their full potential, even according to studies I have read, the most advanced and intelligent do not reach 50% of the use of their mental power, so I believe that every day is an opportunity to learn something new and grow our potential. Thank you for your experience.
Thank you for commenting.
True, the kids are very much glued to the computers. They copy the adults and adapt to a world which is in high favor of using technology. They may see no benefit in doing otherwise and the environment they (we) grew up seems to support it. The boy scout membership gave a bit balance and I am glad my son, at least, takes this as a chance to have different experiences. I remember my parents condemning TV and I, as a kid, thought of them being very backwards (having a more differentiated view nowadays). Potentials grow when they need to be activated. As long there is no need, people tend to let them un-explored. In a way, it's understandable ...
I myself feel like changing between two worlds. Modernity and old fashion. To keep myself sane and with both of my feet to the ground, I learned sewing and forms of art like painting and origami. Gardening is also something I like to do but unfortunately I live in a big city. This summer we had the chance though to plant flowers in the front yard of my brothers house and that piece of land became a beautiful home for bees and insects and looks quite wild.
How about you? What are your methods and preferred fields to learn?
@erh.germany - It sounds like you have done a great job raising your son. One of the greatest joys of raising my kiddos is watching them embrace their passions and seeing them mature/grow into their future selves.
I greatly appreciate all the people who have impacted my kiddos, both great and small. We all are products of my people and countless interactions. Quite fascinating if you think about it!
Thanks for stopping by!