In this short Socratic‑style interview, educator Michael Strong talks with a child, Alana, about what helps kids become more resilient and less likely to give up. The dialogue revisits a "no strollers" rule that Alana’s father introduced, explores how that rule and other challenges (like practicing jiu‑jitsu) give children opportunities to push through difficulty, and discusses the roles of parents, coaches, and the children themselves in fostering persistence. Alana reflects that both personal effort and adult support matter, notes that most peers she knows seem resilient, and acknowledges that some kids may still give up occasionally. The conversation ends with Michael planning to share these ideas with Alana’s father.
Chapters
It took me a little while to get this going. How are you?
Good, how are you?
Thank you. So I've been thinking last week, do you remember talking about no strollers, your dad's no stroller idea?
Yeah.
And I think you agreed that makes you stronger, right?
I do.
Do you think it also makes you persist? And not give up as easily?
I think that helps too, mostly because like, it like gives you challenges that you can maybe face and not give up.
Do you think that Logan gives up more easily than you do sometimes?
Uh, I don't think so, actually.
He's pretty resilient?
Yeah.
Good for him, good for him. So do you think that some kids are more persistent or resilient than others?
Yeah, maybe so.
What do you think could make kids be more eager to persist and not give up?
Maybe practice on not giving up.
How do you practice on not giving up?
Like you just keep pushing yourself.
Can kids do that for themselves, or do parents need to do it, or how does that work?
Sometimes kids do it, sometimes parents do it.
Got it. Um, I was also thinking that jiu-jitsu maybe is good. Does jiu-jitsu make you not give up, or do you think jiu-jitsu practice keeps you from giving up?
I think jiu-jitsu practice also kind of pushes me, so, um, I think it's really, I think it's helping me not giving up.
And would you say the practice pushes you or you push you or your teacher pushes you or all of the above?
Um, it's all of the above.
How about other students? Are there other students who are really persistent in jujitsu?
Mm-hmm.
Are there other students in jujitsu who give up?
I've never seen one give up, but maybe, but I've never seen one give up.
Oh, excellent. So everybody, everybody in jiu-jitsu is pretty persistent and resilient, it sounds like. So if you say practice is how kids get better at it, suppose a kid doesn't want— suppose a kid likes giving up. You think there are any kids that just like giving up?
I think some do.
How about grown-ups? Do you think grown-ups ever give up?
Maybe, but I've never seen one give up.
Okay. Do you think that kids— have you ever met a kid that likes to give up?
Um, actually don't think so.
Okay, so you live in a world where everybody is pretty resilient and completes everything they do all the time.
But I think, but maybe some do give up sometimes.
How about at school? At school, does everybody do all the work they're supposed to do?
Yeah.
Good, good. Well, um, you know what, I think it's really good for people to be persistent and not give up. And so I think that that's a really good thing. And so I'm glad that you do not give up easily. And that it sounds like the no strollers and jiu-jitsu and your parents and you and your coach all helped make you resilient. Does that sound right?
Mm-hmm.
Okay. So last week after talking to you, I talked to your dad about the no strollers. Did you listen to my conversation with your father?
So I kind of heard it. You guys were talking about the same thing, I know, and almost the same thing.
Yeah.
Okay. I listened a little bit. Yeah.
Okay. Well, I'm going to finish up with you and then I'm going to talk to your father about resilience and jiu-jitsu and no strollers. Okay?
Okay.
And if you want to listen, you can listen. Okay?
Okay.
All right. Great talking to you, Alana. Bye-bye. Bye.
