All children have hopes and dreams. Their innocent optimism from their early years to working their way through school is inspiring. The responsibilities of educators and parents are to help children be ‘response-able’ in facing the challenges of life. A victim mentality eliminates any hope of successfully meeting their aspirations and dreams.Children face obstacles -- some are daunting and others the normal ups and downs of childhood. Parents and others have an obligation to help children grow into maturity and learn that they can act in positive ways in good as well as in hard times. To reject the ability to live a life they have imagined results in a life lost, along with its potential and possibilities.To be successful, children cannot adopt a victim mentality. When confronted with challenges, character matters -- responding effectively to address life’s challenges. Schools must teach character development in an environment that holds children responsible and accountable. We all have only one life to live and we are able to respond to achieve an imagined life.