Comment on parents removing the possibility of failing

Part 3 of the exam question asks you to comment on a statement from text 2: “Many parents have removed the possibility of failing at home; kids still get money or perks even if they failed to share the responsibilities around the house.” (ll. 57-61)

For you to better understand the quote and provide a more comprehensive comment, it is also important to look at text 2 as a whole and at the overall message of the author.

Text 2

Text 2 is titled “How Adults Are Stealing Ambition From Kids” and was written by Tim Elmore and published on Growing Leaders website in 2013. In the article, the author criticizes parents (but also schools and teachers) for making children believe that the mere participation in activities and competitions deserves recognition as a success: “We are raising a generation of kids who are used to receiving recognition for participating.” (ll. 21-23)

The author considers that this attitude on behalf of adults makes children and youngsters less ambitious and competitive and more presumptuous when it comes to what they deserve in life:

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Other aspects to consider

When you comment on the quote, reflect on parents’ intention in this situation. Their intentions are good, as they are trying to encourage participation in home chores and “to boost their kids’ self-esteem” (ll. 25-26). However, the result of the parents’ actions is not a positive one, because they send the wrong message to children. Instead of creating a competitive, hard-working spirit, they encourage laziness;...

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