A Letter to My 14-Year-Old Son

（My son is 14 years old and in the first grade of junior high school. This Friday afternoon, the school will hold an activity, there will be a farewell ceremony to childhood. The school requires parents to write a letter to their children, and the children will read the letter from their parents in the activities of the day. I think it's a good opportunity to write such a letter to my son. Here is the letter, and I want to share it with you.）

Son:

On Sunday night, as usual, you review in the living room to prepare for the next day's testing, while I start to write this letter to you at the other end of the living room. Letter is a good communication tool. Some emotions or things that can't be expressed systematically can be expressed more clearly through letter writing.

You were just 13 years old on the 30th of last month, so you will be 14 years old from the 1st of May.

The past June 1st is children's day, but a 14-year-old junior high school student is no longer a child. According to the law of our country, 14 years old is the age that can bear the legal responsibility. Over 18 years old is an adult, so we can say that over 14 years old is a semi adult.

At a time like this, son, I want to say something to you as an adult.

Do you know the characteristics of adults? The biggest characteristic of an adult is not that he can work and earn money, that he can use a mobile phone, that he can drive, and that he can do whatever he wants.

I tell you, the biggest characteristic of adults is: to take responsibility - first of all, to oneself, secondly to family, thirdly to society, to the country, and even to the planet we live on - the earth.

Since you entering junior high school, mom and dad are glad to see that you are gradually mature in all aspects of physiology and psychology.

At home, you can start to help lift heavy things, do hard work, and take the initiative every time. This is undoubtedly the performance of manliness, but also a kind of courage to take responsibility. You gradually know how to sympathize with and care for your parents. Thank you! In learning, your learning attitude and habits are much better than in primary school, and your homework is more and more serious. This is reflected in the mid-term examination, which is more advanced than last semester. These are the results of your efforts, are more and more responsible performance!

The biggest characteristic of adults is to be responsible for themselves.

Maybe you have thought about it vaguely, maybe you haven't thought about it carefully, but today I want to put forward the following question. You don't need to answer me, you just need to ask yourself in your heart:

What kind of person do I want to be?

From today on, how can I finally become such a person?

A real adult, there is also a biggest characteristic, that is: self-discipline.

How to resist some bad temptation? When a temptation is placed in front of you, you can say "no" firmly and tell yourself firmly: I will be an adult soon, this kind of temptation can only tempt a little kid who is not sensible!

How to balance watching TV and studying? How to better manage your time? When watching TV, the time set by yourself is up. Although you really want to continue watching TV, you can still firmly turn off the TV without hesitation. It's all about self-discipline.

Only a self disciplined person can be truly responsible for himself.

Do well what you should do in a down-to-earth and self disciplined way, do things better with your heart every time, make efforts, and make small progress in everything every day. For example, every class is more focused and devoted than before, whether it's Science, Mathematics, Chinese, English or Society. Every time the work is more attentive, focused and rigorous to complete, writing more standardized and correct. Every PE class, whether it's running or other exercises, every PE clock in, every football match, make yourself more involved.

Excellence is never born. Excellence is acquired through continuous efforts, self-discipline and diligence.

A person, is in such continuous efforts and progress, become more and more excellent!

An excellent person, who constantly pursues excellence, is the greatest responsibility to himself, his family, his country and society.

Son, there will be a final exam soon. This is the summary and test of your study in the first year of junior high school. I hope you can despise it strategically, attach importance to it tactically, redouble your efforts to study and review, and get good results in the final exam.

Read thousands of books and travel thousands of miles. In primary school, we climbed Mount Tai, Huashan and Hengshan among the five mountains. This summer, we will go to Xinjiang and visit the northwest border of our motherland. Let the magnificent mountains and rivers of our motherland melt into our blood and become a part of our spirit.

A real man needs a strong body, a strong will, a wealth of knowledge, and the character of continuous efforts. Come on, son!

Your mom and dad who love you

儿子：

周日晚上你同往常一样在客厅复习，准备第二天的周周清，我则在客厅的另一头开始给你写这封信。信是一个很好的交流工具，有些平时没法系统表达的情感或者事情，通过写信，能够表达地更清楚。

上个月30日你刚过完13周岁生日，所以，从5月1日起你就是14岁了。

刚刚过去的六月一日是儿童节，但是一个14岁的初中生已经不再是儿童，按照我们国家的法律，14周岁是已经能够承担法律责任的年纪。18周岁以上是成年人，那么我们可以说14岁以上就是半成年人了。

在这样一个时刻，儿子，我想像对待成年人一样，对你说一些话。

你知道成年人的特点是什么吗？成年人的最大特点不是他能够工作赚钱，也不是他能够使用手机，能够开车，更不是他能够想做什么就做什么。

我告诉你，成年人的最大的特点是：承担责任——首先是对自己个人的责任，其次是对家庭的责任，再次是对社会、对国家的责任，乃至对我们生存的这个星球——地球的责任。

进入初中以来，爸爸妈妈欣喜地看到，你在生理心理各方面都在逐渐成熟。

在家里，能够开始帮忙提重物，干力气活，而且每次都很主动。这无疑是男子汉气概的表现，也是一种勇于承担责任的表现。你慢慢懂得体恤和关爱老爸老妈，谢谢你！在学习上，你学习态度和习惯比小学时候好了很多，做作业也越来越认真严谨。体现在这次期中考试，比上学期在年级的名次有进步。这些都是你努力的结果，是越来越有责任的表现！

成年人最大的特点首先是能够对自己负责。

或许你已经模模糊糊地想过，或许你还没有刻意仔细地去想，但今天我想把下面这个问题提出来，你不用回答我，你只需要在内心这样问自己：

我想成为一个什么样的人？

从今天开始，我怎么样做才能最终成为这样的人？

一个真正的成年人，还有一个最大的特点，那就是：自律。

怎么样抵制一些不良的诱惑？当一个诱惑摆在自己面前，能够坚定地说“NO”, 能够坚决地告诉自己：我马上是一个成年人了，这种诱惑，只能诱惑一个不懂事的小屁孩罢了！

怎么样平衡看电视和学习？怎么样更好地管理自己的时间？看电视的时候，自己设定的时间到了，虽然内心还非常想继续看下去，但仍然能够坚定地毫不迟疑地把电视关上。这都是能否自律的表现。

一个自律的人，才能真正对自己负责。

踏实而自律地做好自己应该做的事，每一次都用心去把事情做得更好，付出努力，每天在每件事上都有小小的进步。比如，每次的听课都比以前更专注更投入，不管是科学、数学，还是语文、英语、社会。每次的作业都更用心、专注和严谨地去完成，书写更规范更端正。每一次的体育课的不管是跑步，还是其它锻炼，每一次的体育打卡，每一场的足球比赛，都让自己更加投入。

优秀从来不是天生的，优秀都是通过不断地努力，通过自律和勤奋而获得的。

一个人，就是在这样的不断努力和进步中，变得越来越优秀的！

一个优秀的人，一个不断追求优秀的人，是对自己最大的负责，也是对家庭，对国家、对社会最大的负责。

儿子，很快就要期末考试了，这是对你初一一年的学习的总结和检验。希望你能够在战略上藐视它，在战术上重视它，加倍努力地学习和复习，期末考试取得好的成绩。

读万卷书，行万里路。小学时候我们攀爬了五岳中的泰山、华山、衡山，今年暑假我们会去新疆，到祖国的西北边陲去看看。让祖国壮丽的山河，融进我们的血脉，成为我们精神的一部分。

一个真正的男子汉，需要有强健的体魄，坚强的意志，丰富的学识，不断努力进取的品格。加油，儿子！

爱你的爸爸妈妈