Colin Powell: Kids need structure | TED

How can you help kids get a good start? In this heartfelt and personal talk, Colin Powell, the former U.S. Secretary of State, asks parents, friends and relatives to support children from before they even get to primary school, through community and a strong sense of responsibility. (Filmed at TEDxMidAtlantic.)

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[DavidGitongawriter]

"It's not where you start in life, its what you do with life, that determines where you end up in life" - Colin Powell

[ScarboroughFair]

I love his message. We all excel with structure. Even creative types. If kids don't learn it while they are young it's harder for them to learn how to create their own structure. The goal isn't structure to join the military. The goal is to teach them structure while they are young so that they can create their own structure to help them accomplish their goals whatever they me. Artist. Engineer. Cook. Farmer. Scientist. Writer. Structure takes what we want to the next level.

[fodaykamara]

I'll forever be grateful to you for this Ted Talk. May the lord have mercy on your soul. Rest in peace, General Colin Powell 😭😭😭

[tchuwe]

came back to watch this again as I learned of his passing, Legends never die.

[astutikfitri]

I like he says of Quotes " Always be looking for that what you do well and which you love doing and when you find those two things together"...man, you got it.

[Bracchus]

They don't have to be the same, but that is a need for structure in all of them. That structure is what provides us with a functioning society. All drivers are not the same. but they all adhere to basic traffic rules. We all wear clothes when we go out, etc. Nothing wrong with structure.

[JovannyARodriguez]

There are “times” ... There are “moments” that my 8 years old daughter cries and say that I am tough. But, before the end of the day, on “that” day, she always end up coming (out of the blue) to me, giving me a real Daddy love hug, and saying, “Daddy I love you” … I can publicly say that I have never given, and I will never give my daughter what she wants. But I can also say: that I have always given, and I (only) will always give to her what she needs. jar

[lilliangraham]

kids need structure when their younger however when they get older, they need guidence, they need encouragement, they need someone to believe in them

[thebermudaI]

(cont.) I’m now a high school senior and have earned perfect 800s on the Reading and Writing sections of the SAT. I consider writing to be my foremost skill, and I am not ashamed to say that I grew up with minimal structure. I had to make my own structure, and this instilled in me an independence and sense of responsibility that Powell’s prescribed program discourages. I would argue for less structure – treat children like “little adults” – not less.

[kaydee]

I think a lot of people are focusing on the militaristic aspect of the speech seeing as a way to indirectly encourage service, but I think its appropriate that he used this example due to his life experience. It seemed to me to only be an analogy for the bigger picture of structure for children. I grew up in a household of 50/50. The most important things were handled in a structured manner academia, behavioral problems etc. but we had freedom when it came to fostering our interests and hobbies.

[amunneheh]

Colin Powell is attributing the benefits of showing a child love with giving them structure.
He is linking the emotions felt as a consequence of love and compassion claiming its because of structure. If you read to your kids it's because of feelings of compassion in how they develop. Structures themselves will arise naturally in this case but as of themselves structures have no underlying positive or negative implications. It can be used for love or oppression

[jamesmamadi]

From the time l knew that great, Nobel man l adored his wisdom with everything he did. Admired him so much that I have a son with his name. RIP.

[andyan]

Structure is important for developing leaders. Good leaders are such because they know how to follow. Someone who knows how to follow will not go on power trips or make unreasonable demands.

[sanketponia]

1. Structure means support and kids need that.
2. He's not an intellectual but his heart knows.

Respect his intentions, Be proud to be in America.

Love from India.

[stealth]

I wonder if people would still dislike this video if Colin Powell didn't be the spokes person, but someone else did with the exact same wording. The video is about giving kids guidance in there life so they can set their future straight. Not about fucking war, if we educated our kids the right way and gave them what they needed to be successful. I'll bet a million bucks this world wouldn't be in the shit whole it currently inhabits. Education is where it all starts to change that.

[Martial-Mat]

Yes, I agree totally with your assessment. Unfortunately, these things seems to be applied on a continuous pendulum, and right now we are waaaay too far over onto the nurture without structure side. It's all touchy feely and kid's rights, without worrying about society's rights to have socially well adapted kids in it, who do not have a massive sense of entitlement.

[Segnus]

Like/Dislike ratio is a good indicator for the accuracy of this information. Yes, kids need structure, but 160 years of educational and behavioral psychology say they also need to have opportunities to play and explore freely. He does say that his thesis, "kids need structure, " comes from his time in the military, not his time as an educational professional or psychologist. This needs to be taken with a grain of salt as well as a healthy dose of peer reviewed info on childhood development.

[misterx]

The Main message is that the good education & development of children starts at home. That kids need structure. There is no disputing this, this is fact.
Great talk.

[saadasim]

Children need more than 1 parent. They need both the mother and the father.

[RobinNandi]

Kids do need structure and discipline and to feel they have a place in the world, but should not be brought up to accept authority blindly. They need to learn to think for themselves. Your self-confidence comes from your knowledge of your own ability. Not from wrongly believing you can be anything you want to be, but from knowing what you can achieve, what your limits are and how you can improve.