Eight in Ten Youths Believe the Adults in Their Lives Value Achievement Over Caring for Others
Here's the good news: in a national survey conducted by Harvard University, roughly two-thirds of youth listed kindness as one of their top three values and 64 percent included fairness in their top three.
Here's the bad news: Approximately 80 percent of these same kids report that their parents and teachers are more concerned with achievement more than caring for others. The vast majority of America's youth agree with this statement: "My parents are prouder if I get good grades in my class than if I'm a caring community member in class and school."
When parents and teachers are asked, most say that raising caring children is a top priority, ranking it as more important than achievement.
In other words, we adults, despite our best intentions, are falling down on the job. There is a significant disconnect between our intentions and the results we are achieving. We might hold things like empathy and compassion dear, but our kids aren't buying it. Indeed, it seems we are teaching them exactly the opposite.
And no wonder. Most children spend their first couple decades CONTINUE READING: Teacher Tom: Eight in Ten Youths Believe the Adults in Their Lives Value Achievement Over Caring for Others