Summary: Out of all the things we stress about as parents, whether to let our seven-year-olds quit the violin seems like it shouldn’t matter that much. If they wouldn’t have made first chair in the Vienna Symphony anyhow, what difference does it make? <br> But letting our kids quit— or making them tough it out— gets at the very crux of parenting: pushing our kids enough, but not too much. Directing their young lives, but letting them find their own paths.<br> In this episode we discuss: <br> <br> the crucial difference between quitting and “non-re-upping”<br> the importance of “dabble-level” activities for little kids<br> finding the “less-intense alternative” for older kids<br> the times that it’s okay to let kids quit<br> the times that you need to push them through. As Dr. Angela Duckworth, the esteemed “grit” researcher, put it: “Don’t let them quit on a hard day.”<br> <br> Here’s links to some further reading (and some viewing) on the topic, most of which we discuss in this episode: <br> Nina Sovich for WSJ: <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/when-to-let-children-quit-1472059304">When To Let Children Quit </a><br> Delia Lloyd for Brain, Child:<a href="https://www.brainchildmag.com/2014/01/should-you-let-your-child-quit/"> Should You Let Your Child Quit?</a><br> Amy Wilson (!) for New York Family: <a href="http://www.newyorkfamily.com/finding-the-optimal-push/">Finding the Optimal Push</a><br> KJ Dell’Antonia for NYT Well Family: <a href="https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/04/29/when-raising-a-child-with-grit-means-letting-her-quit/">Raising a Child with Grit Can Mean Letting Her Quit</a><br> Melaina Juntti for Men’s Journal: <a href="http://www.mensjournal.com/health-fitness/exercise/6-signs-your-kid-should-quit-a-sport-20151229">Six Signs Your Kid Should Quit a Sport</a><br> Angela Duckworth: <a href="https://www.sas.upenn.edu/~duckwort/images/Grit%20JPSP.pdf">Grit: Perseverance and Passion for Long-Term Goals </a><br> HBO’s documentary <a href="http://www.hbo.com/sports/state-of-play-trophy-kids/video/state-of-play-trophy-kids.html">State of Play: Trophy Kids</a><br> This episode is sponsored by Blinkist. Read all those non-fiction books you’ve been meaning to get to in 15-minute “Blinks” on your laptop or phone. You can read, listen– or both! What Fresh Hell listeners can <a href="https://bit.ly/WFHblinkist">try Blinkist for free </a>at <a href="http://bit.ly/WFHblinkist">bit.ly/WFHblinkist</a>. <br> Keep leaving us those <a href="https://www.whatfreshhellpodcast.com/2017/01/how-to-review-a-podcast-on-itunes/">ratings and reviews on iTunes</a>— you’re helping our audience grow. Thanks! <br> <br> <a title="Episode 18: When To Let Kids Quit" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://www.whatfreshhellpodcast.com/2017/06/episode-18-when-to-let-kids-quit/"></a><br> <a title="Episode 18: When To Let Kids Quit" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://plus.google.com/share?url=https://www.whatfreshhellpodcast.com/2017/06/episode-18-when-to-let-kids-quit/"></a><br>
