around, and he used to always have this teddy bear. He was such a
sweet kid, and I thought about how I wanted to help other kids like
him,” said John.
PG (parental guidance) rating
Both William and John consider their grandfather to be one of the
biggest inspirations in their lives, and they strive to be like him as
they grow older.
Despite having busy schedules, they are proud of the fact that their
family still manages to maintain a close relationship and that they all
spend time with one another, whether it be during family dinners or
when they take time to stop by the school library where their mother
works from time to time.
“Our parents have given us the tools we need to succeed and kind
of let us figure the rest out for ourselves,” said William.
parents’ perspective
The boys’ parents, Mike and Cindy Mitchell, believe they’ve been
blessed with bright and outgoing children. “We have always
encouraged them to give their best effort at everything they do and
not look for the easy way out,” they said.
parent-to-parent
Mike and Cindy both grew up in homes that valued family,
faith and education. By making financial contributions toward
their own college education, they were able to develop a greater appreciation for the opportunities and sacrifices their parents provided
for them.
When asked what advice they would give to other parents, they
agreed that it’s important for parents to show interest in their teen’s
life, value their opinions, and also stay engaged with them. One way
to do so is to “make it a point to have family time, away from the distractions of TV and social media, which affords you the opportunity
to have meaningful discussions,” said Mike.
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