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5 School Mistakes That Set Kids Up for Struggle as Adults

Margaret Hayes3 min read
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5 School Mistakes That Set Kids Up for Struggle as Adults — Family
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Only Individual Work

Only Individual Work
Teamwork might seem like a great idea at first — you can split tasks and have someone to discuss questions and problems with. But working with others isn’t always easy: it’s a delicate balance between not pushing your own ideas too hard and not giving them up just because someone’s louder. Sharing responsibility equally is another skill that takes time to learn. It’s still better to practice this in school than to face these challenges for the first time at your first job, where your livelihood depends on it.

Shielding Them from Failure

Shielding Them from Failure
Every parent sees their child as perfect, and wanting them to be happy makes it easy to fall into the trap of avoiding failure. This can show up as making a huge deal out of small setbacks or blaming others or circumstances when the child doesn’t perform as expected. The first can make a child anxious and afraid to try, while the second doesn’t teach responsibility. Failure, like it or not, is part of life for all of us. The best thing we can do is help kids accept it and not dwell on it too much.

Only Following the Set Path and Rules

Only Following the Set Path and Rules
If a child is disciplined, well-behaved, completes all homework, and gets along with everyone, why worry? Following rules is important and partly learned at school — it keeps things running smoothly since we don’t live in chaos. But most workplaces don’t expect you to follow a strict script. Unexpected situations come up, and you’re expected to solve them on your own. If kids don’t learn that problems can have multiple solutions and that it’s okay to bring their own ideas, adulthood can bring many obstacles.

Learning for Others

Learning for Others
Rewards like gold stars, stamps, or pocket money can motivate kids at first. But the real win is when a child learns to study and work simply for the joy of it. Because in life, we don’t always get a prize just for doing our duties. And this is the only way work stops feeling like a burden and becomes something we’re proud of and enjoy doing.

Relaxation Is Not a Privilege

Relaxation Is Not a Privilege
Last but not least, kids need to learn an important lesson we adults often forget: alongside hard work and stress, we must take time to unwind. We need moments to meet friends, spend time with family, or simply close the door to our room with a cup of cocoa and a good book or movie — or go for a hike or bike ride. This shouldn’t be a luxury, even if it’s hard to forget our worries sometimes. Relaxation is essential at every age.
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