It’s Hard to Be Them

It would be nice if the world was nice. It would be nice if it was easy to be a kid. 

Unfortunately, it isn’t. 

It’s hard to be the smart kid. As Stefan Zweig said, “no one suffers more than the gifted pupil” in an average world. 

It’s hard to be different. Each of your children is different—in fact each one is totally and utterly unique. If only they knew why and then how to embrace it. 

It’s hard to live with you. What, it was hard for you to live with your parents, and you think you’re a walk in the park? Think again! 

And let’s not even get into this pandemic, this time of political polarization, the stresses of modern life on your kids as they struggle with the instinct to fit in and the desire to stand out. 

This isn’t news to you, undoubtedly, but it all still bears repeating because it’s easy to forget. You think they have it so easy—with all this technology, with all this privilege, with all the things you do for them, with all the things you never had. No. Those are all the reasons it’s hard to be them. Whether they realize it or not, those things are all burdens on a kid in one way or another. Just as you had burdens when you were growing up.

It’s hard to be a kid. It always has been and always will be. Understand that. Empathize. Go out of your way to let them know you know. Do what you can to help them. 

No parent can make the world easy and nice for their kids, but we can appreciate what they’re going through. We can try not to add to their troubles. We can try to be there for them, just as we wish someone was there for us when we were their age.

P.S. This was originally sent on June 27, 2020. Sign up today for the Daily Dad’s email and get our popular 11 page eBook, “20 Things Great Dads Do Everyday.”

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