Have you ever seen a kid wearing a t-shirt with this title?  Or maybe you’ve been browsing through the kids’ department at a retail store and saw something similar on a clothing rack.  We might even see people grin or chuckle at such phrases, suggesting that there is something cute about the phrase. It is like the jokes we have heard about inebriated adults, stumbling, slurring their speech, or taking senseless chances.  But it is not funny. The next time you see such a sign or phase on the clothing or belongings of young people, think about what the sign is really saying. Such verbage begets the law of self-fulfilling prophecy making a statement that is not a positive one.

What message do we as adults deliver when we reflect this attitude or expectation about a child?  We are labeling them as a troublemaker.  From the child’s view, if the expectation of significant adults surrounding her/him think they attract trouble or are the cause of problems, then the child learns to live up to what the adult perceives.

We know that children who succeed have significant adults in their lives who believe they can be successful and build relationships of caring and high expectations for the future. We can make a difference by setting that example and showing them what good citizenship means. It reflects learning, good health habits, caring about family, friends and the community and about having interests and hobbies.

Remember every kid is at-risk.  Unless provided with the belief that they can be successful through proper role models, high expectations and steps to make a strong future a reality, kids are at-risk and our future and culture are as well.

How have you built a positive self-fulfilling prophecy for the important kid(s) in your life?