🐴 Stop raising well-rounded kids

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💡 1 THOUGHT

THE WORLD DOESN'T PAY FOR ‘WELL-ROUNDED’

In his book Find the Work You're Wired to Do, bestselling author, radio personality and all-around legend Ken Coleman delivers a message that might make you uncomfortable: Stop trying to fix your kid's weaknesses.

"I'm so sick of hearing 'I want a well-rounded kid,'" Coleman told Isaac.

"Nobody walks in to Lowe's or Home Depot and goes, 'I want a well-rounded sander.' Anything that does really good work has an edge to it."

Consider this: If your kid is naturally a 3 in math and busts their tail, they might become a 5 – average.

"The world doesn't pay for 5s," Coleman insists. "The world pays for 9s and 10s."

Instead of endless tutoring to bring that C up to a B, Coleman suggests you help them discover their 7s and 8s—and sharpen those into 10s.

Got a teen who’s starting to think about their career? Get Ken Coleman's Find the Work You're Wired to Do (Student Edition) with the included career assessment.

📊 2 TRENDS

1. THE ANXIOUS GENERATION: HOW WE BROKE OUR KIDS

Ken Coleman notes an generational shift in parenting strategies:

"Boomers said 'you skinned your knee? Walk it off.' There were no bike helmets."

Gen X became the anxious parents, raising “the anxious generation."

Jonathan Haidt's research in his book of the same name backs this up—youth anxiety has increased 200% since 2012 (the year Apple introduced the front-facing “selfie” camera). Haidt’s four solutions:

1. No smartphones before 14.

2. No social media before 16.

3. Phone-free schools.

4. More unsupervised play.

2. 81% OF EMPLOYERS PRIORITIZE SKILLS OVER DEGREES

LinkedIn's latest data reveals what employers really care about: "Adaptability is the #1 soft skill employers want—for two years running."

Google, Apple, IBM no longer require degrees. Why? Skills-based hires stay 34% longer than degree-based hires. People with high emotional intelligence earn $29,000 more annually.

What’s not high on the list? Degrees.

"They don't care where you went to school,” Coleman emphasizes, “Nobody cares."

🔨 3 TOOLS

1. KEN COLEMAN'S "FIND YOUR WIRED WORK" BOOK + ASSESSMENT

Coleman's student edition book includes the Get Clear Assessment measuring talents, passions, and mission. Perfect for teens asking "what should I do with my life?" Or more pressingly, “how can I get paid to do something I love and am good at?“

2. RAMSEY'S HOMESCHOOL FINANCE CURRICULUM

Foundations in Personal Finance: Homeschool Edition ($89.99) teaches budgeting through investing via Dave Ramsey videos. For younger kids: Financial Peace Junior ($59.99).

OpenEd families can find Foundations in Personal Finance and Foundations in Entrepreneurship at a discounted rate in the marketplace.

3. THE ANXIOUS GENERATION ACTION KIT

Jonathan Haidt's free downloads include family tech agreements and phone-free templates. Partner org Let Grow promotes independence through "free-range" challenges (essential for breaking the generational curse of anxiety).

That’s all for today!

– Charlie (the OpenEd newsletter guy)

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