Children Should Experience Artificial Hardships?

Answer to title question: Yes.
We sent them on weeks long holidays to India.

 

Thank you. Yes, Santa decided to bring two doll houses. Someone is going to be very excited.

 

I teach Biochemistry, one of the most sought after major at my university. Two out of four second generation Indian students who worked (or are working now) in my lab in last three years were/are in BS-MD program which gives them first access to Medical school if they maintain their GPA and make decent MCAT score. In both cases, parents if not uber rich, could easily provide more than in state tuition.
Another one is preparing for Med school and one is planning to stay in research and will be by graduate student next fall.
My point is, we can’t generalize Indian parents and Indian kids. I am sure plenty Indian heritage students don’t have to work and don’t work but in my knowledge, many do.

 

Dear @Rihana, I was reminded of you and this thread when a friend decided to buy a stick shift for his son who just got his license and no, parents don't have the same!!!

 

And another thing i would like to say, it is a very tough in the academic front for some.. they slog for the passion of learning, but sometimes, they don't get even a mention in the research papers of people whom they help..

ds, has been helping a phd scholar, and now assists his professor for his paper.. it is slogging work, that he does not come home for weeks, he has not come home for this winter break,because he is engrossed in working in the lab. i know another kid who is so passionate about chemisitry, who lives in the lab, for almost 18 hours helping in some research.. they are not paid, they are never asked if they had their lunch, given lunch, when the mess is closed.. sometimes, i believe passion rules.. the kids know what they want, and pave their way.

it is just a little support that they need and we need to give..

it is very tough for the kids with the competions, the quotas and much more from a indian perspective. and should be the same for the kids anywhere.

@Srama that stick shift, brought a smile..

i know of a 8th grade kid who is pestering her mom for a us trip because a few of her friends have done. she is not ready for any other trips..(the mom is considering taking her..this is what i said, that as a parents we need to know where to draw the line.. )

Oh, sending them to india these days, the gp's are worser, they stock water bottles, to much more.. they get to meet the kids for a couple of weeks and they want to be the good ones, pampering and more.

there are no rights and wrongs, it is just what works for the kid and the parents..

 

What a young person can make in 4 hours (in America) working in a college campus job or an off campus job used to be a substantial sum relative to how much One UG credit (tuition fee) would cost; however, those wages had not moved a lot in the last 40 years, while college tuition fee per credit has moved a huge percentage. This is what had made working while a student not at all worthwhile, unless that work can get a tuition waiver or some other direct/immediate benefit. Children with affluent parents can see this, and that is a reason why parents who can afford, would keep their children from low skilled labour while in college. HS children should not work -- the amount of bad far exceeds the amount of good that can come of it.

 

Here is my short answer; you have to make your own long answer.

Age 10 to 20 is when children do not think their parents are cool enough. It is during this time, the parents have to produce uncles/aunties who are. These non-relatives pass on subliminal lessons to children, when the children are keenly looking for adult mentors to receive such zen. When parents do not or cannot do this, children would look for others who'd offer that zen.... school teachers, sports coaches, work-colleagues and supervisors can step into those roles.

No-skill, low-skill employment the children can get during the teenage years, are full of work-place colleagues who may offer different sorts of lessons. And these things stick, not because they are good, but because the children are in a receptive state.