Teaching Children to Do Hard Things, with Leland Vittert

I sit down with Leland Vittert to talk about his childhood diagnosis of autism and the extraordinary role his father played in shaping his resilience. We explore why removing adversity from children often backfires, and how discipline, honesty, and responsibility can become acts of love. This conversation isn’t about romanticizing struggle, it’s about learning how to do hard things and refusing to be defined by limitations.SHOW HIGHLIGHTS00:00 - Introduction02:10 - Autism Diagnosis and Early Childhood05:40 - A Father’s Radical Commitment08:05 - Growing Up Without Friends10:55 - Self-Esteem Outside School and Sports13:20 - Why Adversity Was Never Removed17:30 - Learning You Can’t Be Broken20:05 - Living With Autism as an Adult23:45 - Discipline Versus Accommodation27:00 - Teaching Social Skills Deliberately30:40 - Protection, Trust, and Character34:50 - Letting Kids Become More39:35 - Discipline as Strength45:10 - Parenting Without Expectations48:10 - Final Reflections and Where to Find Leland***Tired of feeling like you're never enough? Build your self-worth with help from this free guide: https://training.mantalks.com/self-worthPick up my book, Men's Work: A Practical Guide To Face Your Darkness, End Self-Sabotage, And Find Freedom: https://mantalks.com/mens-work-book/Heard about attachment but don’t know where to start? Try the FREE Ultimate Guide To AttachmentCheck out some other free resources: How To Quit Porn | Anger Meditation | How To Lead In Your RelationshipBuild brotherhood with a powerful group of like-minded men from around the world. Check out The Alliance. Enjoy the podcast? Leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or Podchaser. It helps us get into the ears of new listeners, expand the ManTalks Community, and help others find the tools and training they’re looking for. And don't forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | SpotifyFor more, visit us at ManTalks.com | Facebook | Instagram