Talk to any parent and you’ll hear the same thing, parenting is hard and everywhere you turn it seems like there are differing opinions about the best way to raise a child. Most worry about making the right decisions and the long-term effects of those decisions on their children. These 3 TED Talks are a great listen for parents of all ages:
Rufus Griscom + Alisa Volkman: Let’s Talk Parenting Taboos
Rufus Griscom and Alisa are the founders of parenting website Babble.com. In this talk, the two chat about four things that most parents feel but can’t talk about publicly. Their light-hearted honesty is refreshing and will have you laughing while nodding your head in agreement.
Reshma Saujani: Teach Girls Bravery, Not Perfection
Reshma Saujani is the founder of Girls Who Code, a program that aims to get more young girls interested in coding and STEM careers. She believes that we teach young girls to be perfect, which makes them uncomfortable stepping into anything unknown later in life. It’s this one principle that keeps a lot of girls safely on the sidelines as technology focused careers pass them by. Her beliefs provoke deep thought and hit home for a lot of parents.
Gever Tulley: 5 Dangerous Things You Should Let Your Kids Do
Gever Tulley is known for speaking out against overprotective parenting. He’s the founder of Tinkering School, which is a week-long camp that allows children to work together to create big things like a working rollercoaster or a 3-story tree house. Tulley believes that although well meaning, raising children in a protective bubble is stifling their creativity and natural instincts toward learning. He challenges parents to step back and allow a little bit of risk into the lives of their children, as he believes it will pay off in the long run.
