Overview:

As a parent, it’s tough to watch your child face difficult life choices—college, friendships, sports, leadership roles—and resist the urge to steer them in the “right” direction. But what if the best way to guide them is not to direct, but to help them clarify what they value? In this episode, Scott Schimmel unpacks a practical, research-backed tool parents can use to support their kids in making better, values-aligned decisions. Whether your child is choosing whether to run for student office or debating a college major, this framework fosters autonomy, motivation, and clarity.

If you want to raise a self-aware, purpose-driven young adult, this episode is for you.

Key Takeaways:

Kids don’t need you to decide for them—they need help figuring out what matters to them.

Teaching values-based decision-making increases motivation and reduces burnout.

A simple values clarification exercise can unlock self-awareness and long-term direction.

Intrinsic motivation leads to greater persistence and satisfaction.

Parents can be guides without being controlling—by asking the right questions.

Timestamps:

00:00 Navigating Tough Decisions as Parents
02:14 Clarifying Values and Priorities for Better Choices
05:03 Empowering Kids to Make Autonomous Decisions

Call to Action:

Want to help your kid make confident, motivated choices?
Guide them—not by telling them what to do, but by helping them discover who they are and what matters most.

Host: Scott Schimmel
Theme: This episode dives into one of the most critical questions for every kid trying to build a meaningful life: What makes you unique? Scott explores how helping kids identify their intrinsic patterns—what naturally flows from them—is key to motivation, confidence, and direction.

This episode explores how understanding a kid’s uniqueness can give them clarity and confidence to make better life choices—especially in a world that keeps pushing them to conform or chase someone else's definition of success.

“We don’t need to teach our kids to throw a dart at a career board.”

“The worst advice is probably: ‘It’ll all work out eventually.’”

“Extrinsic goals sound smart, but they rarely feel satisfying.”

“Kids need help to pay attention to what’s already wired into them.”

Major Highlights:

Upstream Challenges: Kids today face nonstop pressure—from college competition, AI job market disruption, and social media telling them what to want. That noise makes it harder than ever to figure out who they are and what to do with their lives.

Why Intrinsic Motivation Matters: Drawing from Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan), Scott explains how intrinsic pursuits—goals and activities that flow from genuine curiosity and joy—are more sustainable, fulfilling, and authentic than those driven by external pressure.

The Persona Trap: Scott shares his personal story of picking a respectable path (finance) as a young teen—not because it fit, but because it got praise. That experience helped shape his passion for helping kids avoid the same trap of external validation over self-knowledge.

The Magic of Question Two: “What makes you unique?” isn’t fluffy—it’s a foundation for building a meaningful life. It helps kids make aligned choices and gives parents a better lens for how to guide and encourage their kids.

What to Look For: Kids’ patterns of curiosity, creativity, and resilience are clues. Listen for what lights them up, what feels natural to them, and what they keep returning to. That’s their “magic.”

00:08 – Setting the scene: why today’s kids face a harder road to identity

02:35 – The finance persona story: chasing validation instead of authenticity

05:10 – What Self-Determination Theory teaches us about human motivation

08:00 – The difference between intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivation

10:45 – Why “just go where the jobs are” is the worst advice

13:15 – The purpose of the 30 Critical Questions series

15:00 – What adults can do: become better mirrors, not fixers

16:45 – A better question to ask your kid tonight

18:00 – Wrap-up and call to action

Tonight at dinner or in the car, ask:
“What’s something that feels easy or fun for you, but seems hard for other people?”
Let them talk. Then listen again tomorrow. Their answers might just be the start of something meaningful.

Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan) – Autonomy, Competence, Relatedness

Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic Motivation – Pursuing goals because they feel right vs. because you're told to

The 30 Critical Questions – From the Critical Foundations series by YouSchool

As kids grow up, they hit pressure-filled decision points: Which school? What major? What job? But too often, those choices are made without any real vision for the kind of life they want. In this episode, Scott Schimmel explains why helping kids define their life aspirations—before making big decisions—is the key to less anxiety, more clarity, and better long-term outcomes.

Whether you're a parent, teacher, coach, or mentor, this episode will help you guide kids toward a fuller vision of their future, rooted in values, identity, and a sense of purpose. Instead of narrowing options too early, you’ll learn how to help them zoom out, dream big, and choose wisely.

“Every choice a kid makes is shaped by the ones that came before it—and their sense of who they are becoming.”

“We've overcommunicated to our kids: whatever you do, make sure it makes you happy.”

“There are three big anxieties: Will I like it? Will I be good at it? Will it even exist?”

“The clearer the vision for their life, the easier the decisions become.”

“Aspiration isn’t just about work. It’s about family, friendship, community, even the kind of neighbor they want to be.”

00:00 – Intro: The Pressure of Decision Points

01:30 – The Chain of Choices: From Habits to Jobs

04:45 – Prediction Anxiety: Will I Like It? Be Good at It? Will It Exist?

10:30 – The Cultural Obsession with “Liking” Your Work

13:15 – Why We Need to Start with Life Aspirations

15:50 – A Better Way to Guide Big Choices

19:30 – A Simple Exercise to Help Kids Dream Bigger

23:00 – How Parents Can Be Better Guides

26:10 – Final Thoughts: Clarity, Confidence, and Vision

Want to help your kid find clarity in the chaos? Start with these two questions tonight:

“What do you want your life to look like in 20 years?”

“What kind of person do you want to be known as?”

Then, go deeper with our free life vision worksheet—grab it at theyouschool.com/resources 

And don’t forget to share this episode with a friend who’s helping a kid make big decisions.

There’s a moment every parent dreams about—when your kid turns to you and says, “What should I do with my life?” And in that moment, most of us freeze. Even the pros (like Scott Schimmel, who literally does this for a living) mess it up.

This episode is a real-time reflection on how we talk with our kids about their future. But instead of diving into majors and jobs right away, Scott makes the case that we need to back up and ask a much deeper question: What is work even for?

If you want to help your kid build a meaningful life, start by examining how you talk about your own work. Because guess what? They’re paying attention. Every offhand comment, every sigh, every joke about “working for the man”—it’s all shaping their perspective on what work means.

This episode will help you reset that foundation.

Not school.
Not social media.
Not their part-time job.

You.

The question is: Are you helping them see work as meaningful... or miserable?

“Our kids are learning about work from us—whether we like it or not.”

“You’ve got to look at what story you’re telling about work. Because they’re watching. They’re absorbing it all.”

“We want to give advice when they ask about majors or careers, but if we skip the philosophy, we miss the whole point.”

“What if the purpose of work isn’t just to make money or survive—but to make a contribution that matters?”

00:00 – The Moment Every Parent Hopes For
Scott shares the recent story of his kid finally asking for career advice—and how he fumbled the moment.

02:10 – Why Work Conversations Often Fall Flat
Parents rush to give advice, but skip over the most foundational questions: What is work for?

04:30 – Your Kid’s Work Philosophy Starts With You
The way you talk about your job—the little phrases and offhand remarks—becomes their framework for understanding work.

07:15 – 3 Ways Kids Absorb Your Attitude About Work

The phrases you repeat

The characters in your work stories

The choices you make around work-life balance

12:00 – Reflecting on the Work Story You’re Telling
Are you painting work as drudgery or purpose? Sacrifice or contribution?

15:00 – A Better Conversation With Your Kid
Before you give career advice, ask your kid: What do you think work is for?

This episode is paired with a companion article that goes even deeper into this idea.

👉 Read it now: https://www.theyouschool.com/blog/guiding-your-kids-to-their-good-life-a-redemptive-perspective-about-work 

Let this be your reminder: You’re not just helping your kid pick a job—you’re helping them build a philosophy of work.

Start there.

And next time they ask for your advice, you won’t fumble it.

Guiding Your Kids to Their Good Life

Hosted by: Scott Schimmel
Episode Summary:

In this episode, Scott Schimmel kicks off a brand-new series called Guiding Your Kids to Their Good Life, built for anyone who cares deeply about the kids in their lives—parents, educators, mentors, coaches, or grandparents.

Scott reflects on YouSchool's work with veterans transitioning to civilian life through Vector Accelerator and draws a powerful parallel: whether you're 18 or 38, the work of figuring out your life—who you are, what you want, and where you're headed—requires guidance, clarity, and intentionality. And it’s the same process for kids.

Scott shares a raw, relatable look at what it’s like to parent kids through high-stakes decisions (education, career, life direction) while resisting the urge to control them. He introduces a powerful idea: every now and then, you get a "layup moment"—when your kid turns to you and actually asks, “What do you think I should do?” The question is—will you be ready?

Guiding, Not Controlling: Kids need help making informed decisions, not scripts for their lives. The goal is autonomy, not obedience.

Layup Moments Matter: Every so often, your kid will ask for your opinion. These are golden moments—don’t freeze or preach. Be ready to guide.

Same Curriculum, Different Ages: The questions that help veterans transition with clarity are the same ones that help kids build meaningful lives. It's about purpose, identity, and belonging.

Success ≠ Meaning: You can do all the “right” things—grades, college, job—and still miss building a meaningful life. That’s why reflection and guidance are so essential.

The Emotional Load is Real: Your kid’s choices can feel personal. But your job isn’t to manage their outcomes—it’s to equip them with clarity and confidence.

“I wish it was as easy as telling our kids what to do and then they go and do it… but that’s not how this whole thing works.”

“We want to help you think well about the most significant moments you can have with your kids—while preserving and honoring their autonomy. That’s the ‘you’ in YouSchool.”

“There are a fixed number of conversations, exercises, and experiences your kid needs to find clarity. That’s what we’ll cover in this series.”

“We’ve all had those moments where we drop everything to protect our kids in a crisis. But the decisions they’re making about their lives? Those are just as critical.”

Subscribe to the Parent School series wherever you get your podcasts.

Visit theyouschool.com  for supporting articles, tools, and resources to go deeper with your kid.

Ask your kid this one question tonight:
“What’s something you're wondering about your future right now?”
Then—just listen. You might be getting your layup moment.

In this heartfelt and practical episode, Scott Schimmel tackles one of the most critical questions every kid needs to answer to build a meaningful life: “Who guides your life?” Drawing from research by the Search Institute, Scott shares why every child needs at least five caring, invested adults in their life—and how you, as a parent or educator, can help make that happen.

Scott reflects on his own emotional journey as a dad watching his son grow up and pull away and offers encouragement that this natural development doesn’t mean disconnection—it’s an invitation to bring others into your child’s world.

You’ll learn:

Why kids need five adult mentors, not just their parents

How to intentionally create opportunities for your kids to connect with other caring adults

Ways to facilitate meaningful conversations between your child and mentors

How teachers, coaches, and youth leaders can become more than just role-fillers

The long-term impact of building a network of trusted guides around your child

Whether you're a parent, teacher, coach, or youth leader, this episode offers inspiration and actionable ideas to help the next generation feel guided, seen, and supported.

✅ Don’t forget to:

Like, Comment, and Subscribe for more insights on raising kids who live meaningful lives.

Share this episode with parents, educators, and anyone who works with youth.

What do people actually experience when they’re around your kid?

In this episode of the YouSchool Podcast, Scott Schimmel explores one of the most underrated (and most essential) life skills: social awareness. It’s a core part of emotional intelligence—and it shapes how kids show up in the world, build relationships, and get included… or left out.

Scott breaks down why every kid needs to develop social awareness, especially in a world full of screens, sarcasm, and isolation. And he shares practical ways parents can help kids become more tuned in to how they come across to others—without guilt, shame, or awkward lectures.

Whether your kid is super social or socially unsure, this episode will give you tools to:

Ask the right reflective questions

Gently give feedback without shutting them down

Model emotional intelligence in your own life

Make reflection feel normal (not forced)

Because kids who grow in self-awareness and social awareness? They’re the ones people trust, include, and follow.

Social awareness isn’t just “being nice”—it’s noticing how you impact others

Most kids aren’t naturally good at this (especially if they’re anxious or neurodivergent)

Emotional intelligence is learned—and needs practice, modeling, and feedback

Asking the right questions plants the seed for lifelong growth

0:00 – Intro to the 30 Critical Questions
1:45 – What is social awareness and why does it matter?
4:10 – A personal story that changed Scott’s life
7:00 – Emotional intelligence vs. just being “smart”
10:15 – What happens when kids don’t develop social awareness
13:25 – The power of feedback and modeling
17:00 – Practical tips for helping your kid build social awareness
22:00 – The long-term impact on relationships and confidence
25:00 – Reflective questions to ask your kid this week

Ask your kid: “How do you think you come across to others?”
Then listen. Really listen. And let the seed grow.

What should your kid do when a friend is hurting? Do they know how to show up—really show up—for someone else?

In this episode, Scott Schimmel explores one of the most overlooked (and under-taught) life skills: empathetic listening. We dive into why most kids (and adults!) struggle with it, how it impacts relationships, and how parents can help their kids become the kind of person everyone wants by their side when things get tough.

This isn’t just about being a “good friend”—it’s about building the emotional intelligence that shapes how your kid leads, connects, and loves.

Why belonging and empathy are foundational to a meaningful life

What most kids do wrong when a friend opens up

The skill that builds trust, connection, and long-term resilience

How parents can model and teach empathetic listening

What emotional intelligence really looks like (it’s not just being nice)

Model it: Show your kid what empathy looks like in real conversations.

Name it: Call out when you see them being present and compassionate.

Practice it: Roleplay or reflect on tough moments—what worked, what didn’t?

🎯 Ask Your Kid Tonight:
"How do you care for your friends when they’re going through something hard?"
Help them think through real responses—and what empathy looks like in action.

How to Teach Your Kids the #1 Skill for a Successful Life

In this episode, Scott Schimmel breaks down one of the most overlooked but essential life skills your kids need to thrive: the art of connection.

✔️ Why building healthy relationships is more important than grades or followers

✔️ The surprising research on connection and your child’s mental health, confidence, and motivation

✔️ How modern life steals 5,000 hours of face-to-face time from kids — and what you can do about it

✔️ Practical ways to teach your child how to genuinely connect with others

✔️ The three keys: Talk about it, model it, and practice it together Scott shares real-life questions you can ask, tips for practicing social skills at home, and simple habits to strengthen your child’s ability to build trust, navigate friendships, handle conflict, and build a rich, meaningful life.

👉 Question of the Week: What do you do to connect with others?

✨ Listen in and discover how you can help your kids master the backbone of a thriving life: true connection.

Chapters

00:00 The Importance of Connection for Success
02:42 Building Healthy Relationships in a Digital Age
05:50 Practical Strategies for Teaching Connection Skills