Self-sufficiency is patriotic
Nurturing self-sufficiency in children is a duty of parents and educators
In 1776, a pamphlet was disseminated throughout the thirteen colonies that changed the course of history in what we now call home—the United States of America. Common Sense was the title, and it argued for independence from Britain. Thomas Paine wrote the pamphlet to convince the weary colonists that reconciliation with Britain, a hereditary monarchy, was no longer an option; that self-governance was the only viable path in service of posterity. He was successful, as Common Sense paved the way for the drafting of the Declaration of Independence. We, Americans, ultimately became free from British rule and established our own government, a government that the common people of the country control. This freedom comes with strings, of course: we have to be knowledgeable enough to choose our leaders wisely, and we have to know how to take care of ourselves. We must be self-sufficient.
A young, poor Irish woman in an episode of 1923 captured this necessity, and the spirit of America, well. While speaking with Alexandra, a young woman from the upper class of Britain, she bluntly stated: “No royal family here, lady. In America, you’ve got to make it, marry it, or steal it.” By coming to America, Alexandra, an English woman, lost the protection of wealth and any ties with the royal family she once enjoyed. Instead, as the Irish woman warned, she must take care of herself, an expectation of all who came to live in the country.
If you are unfamiliar, 1923 is one of Taylor Sheridan’s many shows depicting life in America—some shows depict life in young America, some take place in modern-day. Sheridan’s shows are overly dramatic, but they capture a particular vision of America and the ideals that many view as worth striving for: the rugged individual who is self-sufficient and takes care of his or her own affairs. This thread runs through all of his shows, and they are very popular, indicating that self-sufficiency is still a prized trait in America.
But, nowadays, you can have any number of encounters at your job, in school, or at the supermarket that tell you otherwise, that give you the impression that this type of America and American no longer exist. That young people in particular aren’t self-sufficient, that they are unable to take care of themselves. Maybe helicopter parents have robbed children of the ability to handle their own affairs once they become adults. Perhaps, all too often, children have been expected to defer to the guidance of adults in every aspect of their lives, ensuring they can’t make decisions for themselves once in adulthood. Or, maybe too many young adults have been ushered into a university in hopes of capturing some prized office job instead of being encouraged to use their talents and knowledge to create something of their own. Whatever the cause may be, America looks more like an episode of South Park, in which the handyman becomes highly sought after because the common man doesn’t know how to fix anything—nor how anything works, for that matter—rather than a Taylor Sheridan vision of America filled with people making their own way and getting stuff done.
There are still pioneers in America
A few years back, The Free Press proclaimed: There Are Still Pioneers in America. The article was written by a young man named Cole Summer, a homeschooled kid who was afforded the opportunity to take his curiosity wherever it may lead. He wrote a book at the age of 14, titled Don’t Tell Me I Can’t, which described his home education, the businesses he started, and the problems he aimed to solve—by age FOURTEEN. His depiction of his life is likely a bit exaggerated, of course, and the unschool approach (his parent’s approach) is not for everyone and doesn’t always produce the desired outcomes. But the point of reading the book is to help readers imagine what is possible when a child is allowed to embrace the curious spirit we are all born with, instead of being told this or that is not for children or they must have adult assistance with something they could very well do on their own. Sadly, Cole Summers (which was a pen name) died tragically before The Free Press published his article. Even so, he still stands as a reminder to children, and more importantly adults, that the desire to be self-sufficient is still alive and well in America; how adults nurture it in children, teens, and young adults is what matters most.
Preparation for self-sufficiency must start at a very young age. The earlier a child enjoys success doing things for themselves, the more encouraged they will feel to continue doing things for themselves. Helping to set the table, preparing a snack, and cleaning up after themselves as a preschooler grows into doing their own laundry, grocery shopping, and cooking meals later in childhood. Being left to solve a dispute with a sibling on their own paves the way for their ability to solve disputes with friends and, eventually, spouses; earning money and paying for their own food at a store or restaurant as a teenager sets them up to manage their finances in adulthood. And so forth. Furthermore, the more children and teens understand how stuff works, the more able they will be to solve their own problems or, at least, know how to find someone who can. If their bicycle breaks, a child should know how to fix it; if a teen gets a flat tire, they should know how to change it; if a young adult’s cell phone screen shatters, they should know how to replace it (with the aid of YouTube, of course).
To be sure, none of this will happen without friction. Children and teens will naturally try to avoid responsibility at times, the trick is not to let them.
An improved vision of civic education
Schools play a role in nurturing self-sufficiency as well.
Civic education is most often discussed as the means through which schools prepare young people for citizenship and how they ensure that young people become civic-minded adults. A civic education typically entails learning about our system of governance, the institutions that help the system function properly, and the role voting-age citizens play. Additionally, a student might learn about how our economic system works and the various civic organizations one might encounter in their community.
But civic education is more than government and economics classes. Everything that is taught within the walls of a school should prepare students to be self-sufficient adults who flourish in society. Schools should be hyper focused on teaching children how to read well as early as possible so that they can read to learn on their own as soon as possible. Children need to learn basic math, how money works, and how to use it as young as possible so that they know how to manage their finances and purchase what they need. Finally, children should learn how to write and speak well as early as possible so that they can communicate effectively. This is all a part of civic education, in addition to learning about American institutions and how to self-govern.
Two hundred and fifty years ago, colonists fought for our ability to self-govern. They gifted us the responsibility of freedom, which is precious and requires self-sufficient adults to maintain. But self-sufficient adults aren’t born, they are made. Parents and educators must take their role of fostering self-sufficiency in children seriously to ensure our communities continue to be populated with adults who are not only self-sufficient but flourishing.