Question-Week ending Sunday 05/25/03:
Regardless of your current age, take a moment "if you can" to reflect back when you were between the ages of 13 to 19 years old. How well would you say you took advantage of the Personal Development Opportunities (PDO's) that were within your reach during those years? Please read our Poll Commentary before taking this poll.
Pre-Poll Commentary:
Decisions during the ages of 13 to 19 are extremely critical. Unfortunately, most teens don't realize how critical their decisions really are. Below is a partial list of Personal Development Opportunities that we would like you to consider, when voting in this week's poll.
If in fact these opportunities were available to you when you were 13 to 19 years old, how well did you take advantage of them? Keep in mind this is only a sampling. If you engaged in other similar activities, use them in place of this list when voting.
- Family Guidance
- Did your parents or guardians serve as good role models for you to admire and if so did you try to emulate them?
- Did you have an older brother, sister or cousin to serve as a role model and if so did you listen to their advice?
- Family Activities
- Did you continue to have dinner together as a family?
- Did you join your parents in travel activities?
- Did you engage in fun activities with your family members like playing cards, games, attending sporting events or watching a movie together?
- High School and After School Activities
- Did you play High School Sports?
- Did you join in other after school activities?
- Did you have a part time job after school?
- Did you have a summer job?
- Did you take any Private Lessons after school?
- College and After Class Activities
- Did you attend College or Community College?
- Did you play a college or intramural sport?
- Did you join in other after class activities?
- Did you have a part time job after classes?
- Did you have a summer job?
- Did you attend summer classes?
- Did you take part in an exchange program?
- Did you read a lot for fun and education?
- Influence of Friends Ages 13 to 19
- Did you associate with friends you could be proud of today?
- Did you engage in activities with your friends that you can be proud of today?
- Did you associate with responsible and ambitious friends?
- Did you utilize your time wisely with your friends?
Enough cannot be written about these critical years. Bad decisions made between ages 13 and 19 can haunt an individual for a lifetime. Responsible parents can have the greatest intentions for their children. They can provide the resources for many opportunities, but ultimately children will make up their own minds. However, lots of discussions and making your loved ones aware of the material in these polls can change someone's life forever.
Let us know in this week's poll, how well you took advantage of those Personal Development Opportunities (PDO's) presented to you when you were between the ages of 13 to 19 years old.
This poll will end on Sunday 05/25/03, when the results will be displayed.
Results:
- 62% voted taking advantage of 13-19 PDO's Good=85%
- 17% voted taking advantage of 13-19 PDO's Very Good=90%
- 15% voted taking advantage of 13-19 PDO's Fair=75%
- 04% voted taking advantage of 13-19 PDO's Excellent=95%
- 03% voted taking advantage of 13-19 PDO's Poor=65%
Post-Poll Commentary:
A strong majority of 62% of our respondents voted as taking GOOD=85% advantage of the Personal Development presented to them between the ages of 13 to 19 years old. Anyone reading these commentaries and taking these polls that have been parents of children during these ages, know the challenges they have faced during these years. These adolescent years are tough on everyone, especially the adolescent's themselves.
Individuals during these ages need lots of guidance and understanding, yet need rules and standards to live by. There will be a high price to pay for everyone involved, if adolescents are left alone to do as they please in the company of the wrong peers. Too often parents are working hard at their jobs to make ends meet and don't devote the proper time to see that their kids get involved in the right activities. Some parents never even meet the peers that their kids associate with and just hope for the best. Unfortunately, hoping just doesn't make it in this world.
Discuss the many opportunities listed in these commentaries with young people you know and care about. Give them the guidance they desperately need during the ages of 13 to 19. Set high standards for them to live by and show them that there is a great life ahead of them if they invest their time wisely, while still enjoying themselves. Help them to develop good habits that will stay with them for a lifetime.
You can't go back and change what you did during these years. But you can learn from your own experiences and missed opportunities and help change the course of another person's life. eHappyLife is all about learning, growing and making tomorrow better, happier and more fulfilling than yesterday! Thanks for your participation in these polls.