Parenting in 2025 feels vastly different from the world many of us grew up in. We're raising children in a global, digital context—where the internet, social media, and constant connectivity add layers of pressure to what has always been a complex and demanding job. The pace of change can feel relentless.

Yet, in the midst of all this noise and novelty, it's important to remember that some of the most important needs of children haven’t changed at all.

This week, I’ve found myself quietly observing—from supermarket aisles to sideline chats, from cafés to playgrounds.

Parent-child interactions.

Grandparent wisdom.

Total strangers navigating shared spaces. And a pattern emerged: the near extinction of two of the simplest, most powerful words in our language—please and thank you.

(an excerpt from Children Aren’t Made Of China by Wilson McCaskill)

So what does it mean to be gifted?  How does it influence a child’s life and experience? How does it shape, not only childhood but the whole lifetime?

If our end goal is to raise children with a strong sense of well-being who can form strong connections and relationships and demonstrate pro-social skills to enable them to live life well. We need to empower them to do so in a self-managing, independent way with no carrot and stick required for extrinsic motivation.