11 RULES FOR LIFE FOR TEENS

~ Charles J. Sykes author of Rules for Life

Bill Gates is obviously one of the world’s most financially successful individuals, ever. He is also wise and endorsed Charles Sykes' ‘Rules for Life’ to help young people face the real world of adult work life and responsibility.

For these rules to be effective throughout life, parents need to begin to address each one with their children from an early age.

The headings below are the titles for each rule and the following 11 blogs expand on each theme.

We suggest that you consider each rule and decide, as parents, how you will best prepare your children to respond to each one.  We will also provide helpful suggestions on each rule over the following BLOGS. 

                                               RULES FOR LIFE

                                                                  Rule 1:

                                                 Life is not fair -- get used to it!

                                                                  Rule 2: 

The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to
accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.

Rule 3: 

You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a
vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.

Rule 4: 

If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss!

Rule 5:  

Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had a different

word for burger flipping -- they called it opportunity.

Rule 6: 

If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes,
learn from them.

Rule 7: 

Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got
that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about
how cool you thought you are. So before you save the rain forest from the
parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.

Rule 8: 

Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. 

In some schools they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as 

MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the 

lightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.

Rule 9: 

 Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few
employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF.
Do that on your own time.

Rule 10: 

Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the 

coffee shop and go to jobs.

Rule 11:  

Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.