I was working with a small group of kids today and I wanted to see if they could resist temptation. \u00a0I explained that a study had been done over 30 years ago where kids were given a marshmallow and told if they resisted eating it right away they would get another marshmallow at the end of the “lesson”. \u00a0Some kids resisted. \u00a0Some didn’t.<\/p>\n
Here’s the interesting part…these marshmallow kids were followed for over 30 years. \u00a0According to the study, those who were able to delay their gratification for the marshmallow tended to have more secure, better paying jobs and healthy relationships with their spouses.<\/p>\n
I tell all of this to the kids and they offer their explanations of what they think the study meant. \u00a0I was pretty impressed with their thinking. \u00a0They compared the ability to resist the marshmallow with the ability to resist spending money. \u00a0And they all thought that was a good idea.<\/p>\n
Then I offer them temptation. \u00a0I had brought in a variety of candy…Twix, milk duds, and the like. \u00a0Each kid got to pick which one he\/she wanted. \u00a0I then had them open the candy and, as silly as it sounds, I had them smell it…caress it…lick it. \u00a0Sometimes being goofy has a greater impact on the lesson.<\/p>\n
Once we were done salivating over our candy I told them to place it on the wrapper in front of them. \u00a0They could choose to eat the candy at any time during the 2 1\/2 hour class. \u00a0Or, they could wait until the end of class. \u00a0Those who had not eaten the candy bar by the end of class would get another one. \u00a0In other words, they’d walk away with two candy bars.<\/p>\n
Much to my surprise, three of the seven kids ate the candy. \u00a0Even after our discussion on the virtue of delaying gratification. \u00a0One said it was just too tempting to smell the candy and not be able to eat it. \u00a0Same story with the second kid. \u00a0And the third described how he rarely gets to eat at McDonald’s and has never had a soda. \u00a0He said that chocolate wasn’t good for you, that it makes you hyper. \u00a0So he ate his milk duds.<\/p>\n
At the end of class, four kids left with two candy bars. \u00a0Three left with nothing. \u00a0And I left wondering what these kids would be like in 30 years.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I was working with a small group of kids today and I wanted to see if they could resist temptation. \u00a0I explained that a study had been done over 30 years ago where kids were given a marshmallow and told if they resisted eating it right away they would get another marshmallow at the end of the “lesson”. \u00a0Some kids resisted. \u00a0Some didn’t. Here’s the interesting part…these marshmallow kids were followed for over 30 years. \u00a0According to the study, those…<\/p>\n