What do 163 of THE BEST COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES in the world have in common? USD Cornell Wellesley Georgia Tech UCLA Morehouse
SMU Notre Dame
Michigan Lehigh Purdue U of Miami Pepperdine Colorado College
BU
McGill Chicago Wash U
Chapman Eckerd SCAD Loyola Chicago Marquette
Truman Furman
Berklee College of Music
Villanova
GWU Indiana U Drake
UPS
Richmond
UT Austin Colgate Tulane Rhodes
parent trap Thanks, Dad!] by dr. tim jordan
At a recent workshop I
They’ve all admitted ’12
graduates.
For a complete college list, please visit www.whitfieldschool.org/college. WHITFIELD SCHOOL Grades 6-12 175 S. Mason Rd. St. Louis, MO 63141 314.434.5141 www.whitfieldschool.org grad ad_'12_TownandStyle_final.indd 1
Theatre For Young Audiences 18 |
TOWN&style
| JUNE 13, 2012
05/30/12 9:25:49 AM
presented in Los Angeles, a group of parents made a list of traits they wanted to see in their children as adults. At the top of most lists was ‘hard worker’. Our subsequent discussion was illuminating. I asked these successful businesspeople how they had learned to become hard workers, and a lot of reasons emerged. Most said working hard was just expected of them. Some pointed to first- or second-generation immigrant parents who left a legacy of working hard so the next generation has it better than they did. There was a tremendous amount of respect and appreciation for the sacrifices past generations had made. I also have observed that most parents in previous generations were ‘hungrier’ than present-day kids. Parents in the past did a better job of making kids earn things versus just giving them everything. Being hungry was a great motivator to get and keep jobs, to save money for things like cars and college. If everything you want is just handed to you, there’s little motivation to fill out 25 job applications or get up at 6 a.m. on weekends to earn cash. Everyone at the L.A. workshop had jobs outside the home as kids and teens. A retreat I ran last year had 25 men in it, and 90 percent of then had a paper route as a kid, including yours truly. It was fun to be out in the real world, interfacing with people of different ages. The majority of men I spoke to played sports as kids, but it wasn’t the year-round, two-to-three-teams-a-season kind of sports. It was 20 baseball games in the summer, with plenty of time left over to have a job and roam our neighborhoods with friends. Everyone agreed the lessons they learned being employed far outweighed the lessons from sports. Given that, it’s high time we re-evaluated this out-of-control frenzy of select sports teams. But perhaps most the important influence on my work ethic was the example set by my dad. Having to provide for eight kids meant my dad left the house every morning at 7 a.m. and didn’t return until 10 p.m. five nights a week. Saturdays he got home at 6:30 p.m. He also modeled pitching in with work at home; he helped cook and clean in addition to all the yard work. And he never complained. He coached some of our baseball teams in grade school, was the president of the Father’s Club at our schools, and even drove a half hour both ways from work to see my Saturday afternoon high school football games. He worked so hard and absorbed so much stress that his body wore out at age 63, passing away quietly in his sleep. That was his way; even in his death he didn’t make a fuss or cause anyone any trouble. I appreciate his example of selfless service and a tireless work ethic, and I hope I’ve done the same for my three children and all the children whose lives I’ve touched. Happy Father’s Day! Tim Jordan, m.d., is a behavioral pediatrician who counsels kids in grade school through high school. for more information, go to weloki.com