My Advice to Young Children

If an 8-year-old male youth or female youth were to ask me for advice on how they could make the most of their life at that age, I might respond by asking them:

---Do you keep a daily or weekly diary or personal journal for yourself?
---Are there any pastimes or hobbies or sports or games you would like to learn?
---Which board game do you enjoy the most? Would that be checkers, chess, dominoes, a card game of some type, or some other board game?
---Which subjects or persons do you enjoy the most?
---Of all the famous persons you have read about or heard about or seen on television or in the movies, which individuals do you like or love the most? Have you considered doing some research on the Internet about each of those famous persons?
---When you feel bored, which activity do you find is the most likely to help you put an end to that boredom?
---What do you like or love the most about your mother or father, or your brothers or sisters?
---What do you know about the town or city in which you live? Have you considered doing some research about your town or city on the Internet, or at your local library?
---Have you done research to identify each of the museums and libraries and art galleries and other cultural places in your city that you might to visit, if one or both of your parents are willing to take you there?
---If you were asked today which job you want to have as an adult, what would you say? Have you done any research to learn more about that type of job?
---How often do you write letters to friends or relatives of yours?
---When you eat dinner with your family, which subject do you enjoy talking about the most?
---Which vegetable do you enjoy eating the most at dinnertime? Are there any creative or new dishes featuring that vegetable that you might like to help your mother or father prepare?
---Which vegetable do you least enjoy or dislike? Have you considered putting some ketchup or mustard on that vegetable before you eat that vegetable? Does that help the flavor of that vegetable, do you find?
---Do you expect to become famous someday? If so, what do you think will make you famous?
---Do believe you are a good person?
---How do you decide who to become friends with?
---Is there any person you don't like? Why don't you like that person?
---Of all the grown-ups you know of, is there any grown-up whom you fear?
---Do you ever cry? When that happens, what are you thinking about or feeling?
---Do you get an allowance from your parents? If so, do you often spend all of your allowance money on the same day? Do you sometimes wish you had saved some of your allowance money for another day?
---If you have a major problem in your life, do you ask your mother or father for advice?
---If you were President of the United States today, what would you do today?
---How would you like to see your country change?
---Is there any classmate of yours whom you believe is a bully?
---Do you know why that classmate of yours acts like a bully?
---Have you talked with your mother or father about any bully you know about at your school?
---Do any of your classmates ever talk with you about drugs or tobacco or alcohol? Do any of your classmates ever try to pressure you into trying drugs or tobacco or alcohol? If so, have you complained to your mother or father or your teacher about that classmate?
---Do you ever get in trouble with your parents? Do you know why you sometimes get in trouble with your parents?
---Which teacher of yours is your favorite so far? Have you talked with that teacher about what it's like to be a teacher?
---Is there any teacher of yours who scares you or frightens you or gets you upset in any way? If so, do you find that you generally don't raise your hand and ask questions of that teacher? Have you asked your mother or father to meet with that teacher and talk with that teacher about your concerns?