Do you ever look around and think, “Why are teens today so fragile when life is easier than ever?” In this conversation, Greg and Rachel break down why so many young people are anxious, avoidant, and overwhelmed by normal life—and how to raise resilient teens who can actually handle hard things. They unpack the impact of comfort culture, overprotection, and screen-based living, then share practical ways to “microdose” and “macrodose” challenge through workouts, travel, projects, and real-life responsibility. You’ll learn how to build holistic toughness—physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, social, and even financial—without shaming your kids or recreating the harshness of past generations. 🎉 Enrollment is now open for our Winter 2026 Habits for a Successful Life Online Class for Teens → Learn More Here Key Takeaways ✅ Today’s teens are collapsing under normal life stress because they’ve been overprotected from real challenges and underprotected from digital harm. ✅ Things feel hard because we are soft—capacity hasn’t been built through repeated, meaningful difficulty. ✅ True toughness must be holistic: physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, social, and financial resilience. ✅ Comfort culture (DoorDash, AC, screens, easy entertainment) removes the friction that used to naturally build grit. ✅ Microdosing difficulty (workouts, cold, chores, outdoor time) builds daily resilience without drama. ✅ Macrodosing difficulty (big trips, adventures, demanding projects, races) resets perspective and capacity. ✅ Real-life experience beats virtual experience—social media, porn, and games rewire the brain without building real-world skills. ✅ Kids need challenge and emotional validation—not “toughen up” coldness, and not bubble-wrap fragility. ✅ You can’t force hard things; you must invite kids into them and sell them on the benefits so they buy in. ✅ The goal is a family culture where hard things feel “normal,” not heroic—“This isn’t that bad. We can do it.” Memorable Quotes 🗣 “Things seem hard because we are soft.” 🗣 “We want to be doing things so insanely difficult that hard things that come along are like, ‘No big deal.’” 🗣 “Our kids are living in a bubble from real life—but being poisoned by virtual life.” 🗣 “The only way to become tough is to do hard things.” 🗣 “Your body can be in pain while your mind and spirit are in joy.” 🗣 “We need to be holistically tough so we can handle whatever life throws at us.” Chapters 00:00 The Importance of Grit in Parenting 00:34 The Crisis of Modern Youth 01:53 Resilience and Emotional Intelligence 04:32 The Comfort Crisis: A Modern Dilemma 07:03 Building Grit Through Experience 08:10 The Role of Family in Developing Strength 08:57 Micro and Macro Dosing Hardship 10:19 The Value of Challenging Experiences 11:29 The Dangers of Overprotection 14:37 Holistic Development in Families 17:13 Creating a Supportive Community 19:49 The Role of Perspective in Parenting 20:56 Navigating Modern Challenges 21:16 The Importance of Real Experiences 23:09 The Impact of Virtual Reality on Youth 25:37 Choosing Discomfort for Growth 26:50 Strategic Parenting for Resilience 27:07 Building a Legacy of Strength RESOURCES: Let us help you in your extraordinary family life journey. How We Raised 7 Well-Adjusted Kids - Without Yelling, Tantrums, Punishments or Power Struggles (+ get THE CHECKLIST: Things We Do Every Day to Raise Well-Adjusted Kids) Rachel’s Must-Read Booklist for Well-Read Moms Greg's Recommended Reading List for Parents & Youth Join the 12-Week Habits Challenge for parents of kids 13+ Don’t miss out on the Extraordinary Parent Mentoring Method class! Get Greg’s NEW Formidable Family Man BOOK! Get Rachel's Family Systems & Charts Get Rachel’s Extraordinary Family Life Planner Follow us on Instagram: @worldschoolfamily or @greg.denning Gather with us at the World School Family (Beach & Farm) Resort in Portugal