Friends and colleagues know me as the happy-go-lucky guy who smiles a lot and doesn’t get angry… but that’s not really who I am…
My kids know me as a serious daddy. I don’t bat an eyelid when my team makes a mistake at work that cost us $200… but I get upset when my kids don’t want to brush their teeth or refuse to get up from the bed.
You see… there’s this cycle that I always believe in.
1) Hard Times Create Strong Men.
2) Strong Men create Good Times.
3) Good Times create Weak Men.
4) Weak Men create Hard Times.
And I’m sure some of my friends in my generation can relate to this.
We were born poor, but it pushed us to study and work hard to become middle class
(#1) through tremendous hard work. So by the time we have our kids, our finances get better and we start upgrading our lifestyles
(#2) By then, we have kids and they get to enjoy the fruits of our labor, and we start pampering them with luxuries (holidays, cruises, toys, iPads, piano classes, etc) we never had when we were young. But this made them feel entitled and they also complain more when they don’t get what they want
(#3) So I’m constantly cautious that our love and over-protection for our children will potentially make them “weak”, and they will grow up to be pampered and find every challenge to be “too hard for me”
(#4) The Strawberry generation, 草莓族 (aka snowflake generation) is a term that we call the younger folks, who “bruise easily” like strawberries, unable to handle social pressure, unable to work hard, spoiled, self-centered, and sluggish at work.
And I don’t want my kids to be strawberries. So I like bringing them for long-distance cycling to build resilience, to let them fall and pick themself up, to keep going no matter how tired they are, to cycle for miles with the ice cream or Prata shop as an end goal…
I may not be the best Daddy, but I am clear on my purpose in life. To guide them, to help them learn, to encourage them to try and fail… and try and fail again… and keep trying.
One day, you and I will all be gone… and our kids will rule the world. Let’s keep them strong and prepare them for that moment.
Good morning, Friends!