When everyone gets a trophy

A while back I was talking to a co-worker, Ed Kestler, and he said something that took a little while to sink in but has since been a very interesting ongoing conversation.
“Everyone gets a trophy,” Ed said. At the time I didn’t really get where he was going with that statement and it just melted away into the place where thoughts go to die.
Then one day at school my seven-year-old, Jake, received an award for some outstanding work he had done in class. I was so proud seeing him walk up on stage and being handed a certificate of achievement by the principal while shaking his hand.
Once I returned home I saw the sheet of paper with the information about the assembly and the schedule for the rest of the day and there it was. After the students returned to the classroom from the assembly the students not awarded a certificate would receive ribbons or some other type of award.
I think it is great that people are trying to make sure no one gets their feelings hurt but what happens when these kids grow up and realize they won’t always be getting something for nothing.
Not to sound like a cruel or mean person but to give everyone an award is ridiculous. For one thing, it takes away from those students who really buckled down and did their work leading to the level of recognition they received. Second, it is telling those children that throughout life you shouldn’t have to work hard to achieve anything; that everything in life should be given to you.
That is where this society is failing our future. The kids growing up today will someday lead our community, schools and ultimately the nation. What will happen when these entitled children run into difficulties? Will they look inward and find the courage to fight? Or will they look outward, seeking a handout?
These are the things that we teach our children. They have to know that they are going to fail, that they will not always win and sometimes no matter how hard you try you will be a loser and that is OK.
Understanding failure and loss is something crucial to life, it is imperative that people reach out to their offspring and reiterate to them constantly that they can lose and when that time comes they should gather themselves and fight that much harder.
They should also know that they can’t expect things for nothing, even though our country would at times have you think differently. People have to work to get were they are going. Journeys begin with a step forward, not sitting there with your thumb out waiting for a ride.
I take pride in knowing that I’m passing that knowledge on to my children as they quickly grow up. It is now or never for this generation, we can either be the ones that turn them into a bunch of groveling sissies or be the people that teach them to hold their head high no matter what happens.
I don’t want my children to ever think that I love them any less simply because they didn’t win. In fact, if they lose graciously and I can see them have a sense of pride in their effort, then I know with all of my heart that I’ve given them something that is far more important than a cheap trophy.
I’ve given them my love, affection and most of all my respect.