Even if we're not particularly driven, ambitious or even talented, I think that one thing we can all do with our lives to make them more successful is to try to leave the world a better place for our sons and daughters. That could mean taking the time to help protect the environment, saving up for a college fund, or anything, really.
It could also mean doing our best to try and adjust the rules of society so that our offspring get a fair stab at life, regardless of their race, gender or sexual orientation. It's a tough ask, sure, but if this 10-year-old's efforts are anything to go by, then we might be lucky enough to have a little bit of help in that respect.
Although you or I don't often take the time to read the box in which our cereal arrives, 10-year-old Hannah-Marie Clayton was enjoying a bit of light reading over her bowl of Coco Pops when something caught her eye: the slogan on that very box.
"Loved by kids, approved by mums" is the kind of vague and pointless advertising jargon you can expect to find on many a box of breakfast cereal, but Hannah-Marie objected to the idea that only mothers are invested in feeding their children healthily, or that they're the only ones approving these foods.
Since Hannah's dad - 47-year-old James - usually gets her breakfast because her mother - Anne-Marie, 47 - usually works away, Hannah-Marie found the Kellogg's slogan pretty sexist.
"My mum was away so I was just with my dad when I saw it on the cereal box," she said. "It made me think that dads should be included as well because they are important too. ‘Also some people don’t have a mum and they might find it upsetting." So, she whipped out a pen, and wrote a letter to Kellogg's explaining her point of view.
"I feel that quote is sexist, men are also able to make breakfast. My dad does it a lot for me because my mum works away a lot and is not always there for breakfast. ‘I would recommend instead of putting ‘mums’, put parents or carers. It would just mean a small change. In this world today we shouldn’t just rely on women."
And wouldn't you know it - Kellogg's got back to her.
They told Hannah-Marie that not only did they receive her letter, they received the message as well, and from now on, they've changed the wording on their slogan to better reflect the modern household. Now, if you were to find a box of Coco Pops in your local grocery store, you'll see that it now says "approved by parents" - and that's all Hannah-Marie's doing.
Hannah-Marie's mother is often away with her job as a flight cabin crew leader, but she's delighted with her daughter's initiative. "I provided the stamps and we looked up the address for the customer services team online and she just got on with it," revealed Anne-Marie, before adding: "James [her father] and I are both very proud of her, as she’s only 10."
I don't know about you, but Hannah-Marie's story just goes to show that with kids like these, the future's pretty bright.
