For college applications - and life: How to help your teen find purpose
This has been such a sad time in our country. School shootings seem to be the norm, and we are asking ourselves, "What can we do?" The answer just might be help our teens find purpose.
Posted — UpdatedThis has been such a sad time in our country. School shootings seem to be the norm, and we are asking ourselves, "What can we do?"
As parents, how do we help our children find purpose? "No two people have the same purpose," Dr. Damon says, and purpose can evolve through life depending on new life experiences. What each had in common, however, was a parent, teacher or friend who was a role model.
Are you modeling to your child what it means to lead a purposeful life? Talk with your children and find ways that you as a family can serve your community and others. Support your children in efforts that they show interest in and allow them to give back.
Often teens don't think about purpose until they have to apply to college and write an essay, says Kendall Bronk, a developmental psychologist at Claremont Graduate University and head of the Adolescent Moral Development Lab.
"Trusted adults in their lives can help them think things through," she says. They watch a short video of comedian and television host Jimmy Fallon, who learned at a young age he wanted to make people laugh.
Colleges are looking for students with a strong sense of purpose and what they can offer to a particular campus. But, more importantly, as parents, it is our duty to raise children that have compassion, empathy and the will to put others needs before their own. It is when you serve others that you find purpose.
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