Parenting Coach On Call

10/05/2026

09/21/2026

Remember this when you are supporting your children. It’s all about attitude

09/07/2026

When you think of the most successful person that you know, one of the first things that usually comes to mind is their strong work ethic.

Unfortunately, when it comes to today’s teens, that is one of the last things that usually comes to mind.

“Teens are lazy.” “Teens are entitled.” “Teens don’t know how to work for things anymore.”

Sound familiar?

But as parents, we don’t want these stereotypes to be true of our teens.

We want our kids to be productive members of society. We want them be strong employees that contribute to the bottom line. We want them to develop healthy habits and motivation so they can accomplish great things. We want them to be happy.

So, what do we do?

We must give our children the tools they need to become successful individuals, but it can be hard to help teens develop a strong work ethic in this challenging world full of distractions, such as social media, videos, peers, and world chaos.

Trying to help teens develop a strong work ethic isn’t an easy thing to teach.

Here are a few ways that you can help encourage a strong work ethic in your teens, and set them up for a bright future.

Continued in comments.

09/06/2026

Too many parents swoop in to solve problems for their kids, Russell Shaw argued in 2024. Instead, he recommended a tactic called “Lighthouse Parenting”: https://theatln.tc/HNnCptei

Shaw spent years working in schools. “I’ve watched thousands of parents engage with educators and with their children,” he wrote. “Too often, I watch parents overfunctioning—depriving their kids of the confidence that comes from struggling and persevering, and exhausting themselves in the process.” The problem seems to be growing more acute as parents worry that their children will be less well off than they themselves are, Shaw continued.

The “urge has led to pop-culture mythology around pushy parenting styles, including the ‘Helicopter Parent,’ who flies in to rescue a child in crisis, and the ‘Snowplow Parent,’ who flattens any obstacle in their child’s way,” Shaw wrote.

“A young person who grows accustomed to having a parent intervene on his behalf begins to believe that he’s not capable of acting on his own, feeding both anxiety and dependence,” Shaw continued. “If children never have the opportunity to stand on their own, we risk setting them up for a collapse later on.”

Instead, he made the case for a Lighthouse Parent: “Like a lighthouse that helps sailors avoid crashing into rocks, Lighthouse Parents provide firm boundaries and emotional support while allowing their children the freedom to navigate their own challenges. They demonstrate that they trust their kids to handle difficult situations independently. The key is learning when to step back and let them find their own way.”

Read more about this parenting style and sign up for Shaw’s new newsletter series at the link: https://theatln.tc/vgWeU19p

📸: Peter Marlow / Magnum