Ten Lessons to Teach Your Kids Before They Go Out Into the World

As I send my son off to study in Italy and officially become an empty nester, I’ve been reflecting on what it means to raise a real adult in today's world. Parents following the latest "solutions" from the U.S. Surgeon General will be disappointed to find that he offers nothing more than recycled Democrat talking points about paid family leave, childcare subsidies, and gun violence. Regardless of the significance of those issues or the merits of various policy solutions, the fact is that generations of parents have navigated the process of raising adults in far worse circumstances with far less government intervention, so what are we modern parents missing? Several years ago, I outlined my philosophy of parenting and adulthood in a Facebook post somewhat inspired by Jordan Peterson’s “12 Rules for Life.” Let’s call it “10 Rules for Adulthood.” If we want to raise strong, resilient kids, we need more than bureaucratic proposals. We need to embrace the hard work of preparing them psychologically and morally to go out into the world and build fulfilling lives.