Member-only story
The big parent lecture rarely works on an unmotivated teen or tween
Your TED talk might be inspiring, but it’s unlikely your teen will be inspired
TED talks are informative speeches of about 20 minutes, where a person delivers an impassioned discourse about their brilliant idea or alternative view of something. We have had sterling examples from well-respected people, such as Dr Brene Brown, Bill Gates, Elon Musk, and Elizabeth Gilbert.
The main purpose of a TED talk is to motivate people into different ways of behaving or thinking. The lectures focus on topics such as the future of education, ways to save the planet, new ways of tackling poverty, and the importance of vulnerability.
But TED talks don’t only happen in TED conferences. I find that they often happen in teenage bedrooms, or kitchens, or in the car on the way to or from school. That’s because often parents want to deliver a TED-type talk to their child as a means of motivation. These usually happen in the following way.
A parent notices that something their child is doing is not in their child’s or the family’s best interest. They then decide to talk to their child about the issue.
Parents often spend a long time planning these speeches and thinking of solid arguments. There may…
