Sticking it Out

Austin and I have been reading the book, "The 6 Most Important Decisions You'll Ever Make," by Sean Covey.

A couple nights ago, I read this passage aloud to Austin:

"Many years ago, the psychologist Walter Mischel conducted an experiment at a preschool on the Stanford University campus. He gathered a group of four-year-old kids around a table with an assortment of marshmallows in the middle. Mischel told them he had to leave the room for a few minutes. If they could wait until he got back, he would give them two marshmallows. If they couldn't wait, then they could have one marshmallow right then. One marshmallow right now, or two later. That was the deal. He then left the room.
A few of the kids couldn't resist and ate a marshmallow the second he left.
Some lasted for a few minutes before they gave in.
Others smelled their marshmallows.
One kid even began licking his.
A few kids were determined to resist the temptation and wait. So they covered their eyes, put their heads down, sang to themselves, played games, hid in the corner, or even tried to fall asleep.
When Mischel returned, he gave those who held out their well-earned two marshmallows.
The researcher then followed the lives of each of these kids up through high school. Remarkably, those who had resisted eating the marshmallow had done far better in life than those who couldn't wait. They were better adjusted, more confident, more popular, and more dependable. They also did much better in school."

We laughed when I read about the kids who smelled their marshmallows, and decided that's likely how Aidan would have behaved.

Austin and I mused about how our 4-year-old selves might have behaved in the same circumstance. I figure I would have been among the ones who were distracting themselves as time wore on (though my mother may disagree!), and Austin just grinned that charming grin of his, and blurted out, "I would have eaten 6!"

Trust Austin to pick an action that wasn't even on the list ;) He admits that he has a very strong tendency toward instant gratification.

As much as Austin is enjoying this book and has enjoyed another Sean Covey book, "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens," he tells me he is feeling a lot of pressure and he is concerned about his future. It all seems to be flying at him too fast. He's not ready to stop being a kid.