Donald Trump, Warren Buffet, Sean Combs, Robert Kiyosaki, just to name a few people, had that "youthful exuberance" you're mentioning, all of them now filthy rich, and able to provide a million times over anything their families could ever need, anything their families could possibly want. There are a many, many (though comparatively fewer) others who don't even even come close to their level of success, but leave the vast majority of us in the dust, at least when it comes to financial success. It's not "youthful exuberance" that drives these people. I mean, it might be, but it's not the only thing, it's also a pretty good understanding of how one reaches whatever success they've attained, and also having overcome gotten over the "you'll probably fail" message that they've been hearing all their lives. Raising your kids, you ought not limit their scope. Instead, you should show them what it takes to make something happen, and try to set bench marks with them. They can then decide if they're cut out for what they're trying to do or not. Furthermore, none of this has to come at the expense of preparing to enter the work force. It also has the benifit of getting rid of this silly, silly fear of trying something positive because their neighbors, classmates, teachers and friends aren't.