Hey Penguin,
I’ve seen it happen more times than I can count… you fall in love with something, dive in full of excitement, but the moment it gets hard, boring, or tricky, you want to quit. Honestly, you’re not alone.
Quitting too soon is almost like a secret hobby of most tweens (and adults, too, if we’re being honest).
Remember when you started taekwondo? The first few weeks were pure magic… you were kicking, punching the air like a little warrior. But then came the tough drills, belt tests, and endless stretching sessions… and suddenly, “Can I take a break?” became your favourite line.
Later, it was skating… the thrill of gliding, trying new tricks. Until you fell a few times and realized it wasn’t as effortless as it looked on YouTube.
Then came art class… colours everywhere, your imagination on fire. But you wanted to abandon ship when the teacher insisted on practicing the basics, sketching boring lines and shapes.
Here’s the thing…
The beginning of anything new feels like fireworks. It’s exciting, thrilling, and full of possibility.
But real growth, which builds your confidence brick by brick, happens after the excitement fades. It happens in the boring middle, the hard lessons, the failed tries.
I get it. It’s tough.
As for wanting you to give a bit more effort, there’s a delicate balance between letting time do its work with your maturity, respecting your temperament, and working with you to strengthen your resilience.
You’re not a little boy anymore.
That’s why I would sit with you and make some lists
- “Definitely want to quit”
- “May want to try a bit more”
- “Not sure yet”
As you take on new hobbies, we can put them into these categories and move them around.
You and I can talk through what feels like “quitting” and what feels like “trying a bit more.”
We can also brainstorm ideas:
- Maybe talking to your coach or teacher?
- Maybe working with another expert?
- Downloading a helpful app?
- Watching tutorials together?
- Practicing with friends or with us, family?
- Or maybe adjusting expectations and timelines?
The point is, boy, the solutions and the thoughtfulness should come from both of us.
Not just me pushing. Not just you walking away.
It’s okay to take a break. It’s okay to rethink and reset.
But every time you push a little beyond the hard part, you’re building a muscle inside you, a quiet, powerful belief that says, “I can figure things out.”
That muscle? It will carry you through every tough exam, heartbreak, challenge, and dream that matters.
Whether you finish the race or forge your own path, I’ll always be your biggest fan.
But I’ll also always nudge you, gently but firmly to give yourself a chance before you quit.
Because you, my love, are capable of so much more than you know.
With all my heart,
Maa
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