Hard things are hard. They’re also worth it. Amazon has created a new cultural norm; instant gratification, so if it isn’t fast and fun, it isn’t happening.
Our son, Gil, has developed a huge love for Pokémon and has begun collecting and trading Pokémon cards. Recently, he realized he needed a binder for his collection.
Instead of granting him the binder, which we could have done easily and willingly, my husband and I told him if he earned half the cost of the binder, we would match the other half.
He earned a dollar a day for walking our dog twice a day. After 5 days, thinking he had plenty of money, he decided it was time to choose a binder.
To his surprise, the cost of the pages and the binder he wanted was $44. This meant he’d need $17 more dollars to pay for half.
Let’s just say this didn’t go over well. Bottom line, he wanted that binder and he wanted it now! It was tough but we held the line and ultimately he agreed to earn the rest of the money.
The lesson here was just as much for us as it was for Gil. It would have been so easy to give in especially when the consequence of our decision was dealing with his disappointment. Avoiding pain is a natural human trait.
In the end, once he accepted that he needed to wait until he earned enough money, he was so proud of his accomplishment. It made him appreciate the binder so much more then he would have if it had come easy.
For us, we felt proud of ourselves, and the outcome made us appreciate making the hard decision to stick with it.
Hard things are hard but with practice, perseverance, and hard work, they’re worth it.
I’m interested in knowing what hard things you’ve endured or taught to your children.
Leave a comment below. Of course, if you enjoyed this post, I’d love it if you’d share it with your world.
Photo by Sarah Cervantes on Unsplash
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