Picture this. Your child comes home with a special assignment from school. He's very excited about it and puts in a lot of time to perfect it. He's thrilled with the result and can't wait to take it to school.
A few days later, he comes through the door, picks a fight with a younger sibling and bursts into tears. Finally, he manages to tell you that the project he was so proud of was 'unacceptable,' that the teacher wants him to do it over.
What's your first reaction?
a) Protective - "I'll straighten this out."
b) Embarrassed - "MY son always gets good grades."
c) Angry - "That teacher is picking on my son!"
d) Worried - "This could be damaging to his self esteem."
e) Grateful- "He's got someone who's really going to push him to reach his potential this year."
I think that lots of parents want to believe that 'e' is the right answer.... I just remember wishing that it wasn't so difficult to stifle all of the other reactions on my way to that answer! Sometimes the urge to protect goes a bit too far.
As parents, it's not our job to see that our children never experience sadness, disappointment or frustration. As much as most of us would like to, we're probably not going to be able to keep those things out of their lives -- now OR when they become adults. But, we can do the next best thing.
We can invest the time that it takes to prepare them to face life's struggles.
Instead of trying to shield our kids from 'negativity' let's help them embrace tough situations. Why not use the bumps provided by the classroom or the playground to build the strengths they'll need when applying for a job or surviving an unhappy supervisor?
Isn't that real learning?
Andrea Patten is the co-author of What Kids Need to Succeed: Four Foundations of Adult Achievement now available on Amazon.com
To find out more about The Four Foundations or to request that Andrea speak to your group, please visit http://www.whatkidsneedtosucceed.com
"....because you're not raising a child, you're raising a future adult!"
limousine airport Glendale Heights .. Lockport Chicago limo O’HareAlthough, not a well publicized statistic, childhood obesity has more... Read More
This may come as a surprise.But despite all the advances... Read More
"I took care of Callie," my three-year-old announced.Callie had been... Read More
It has been a long day. Home from work, you... Read More
We all wish that our children should not smoke or... Read More
A certain educator was once asked at what point should... Read More
There is nothing pleasant about failure, at least not at... Read More
You do what you can to keep your little ones... Read More
Your child's teacher says that you need to find out... Read More
An estimated five million scooters will be sold this year... Read More
LOS ANGELES (May 19, 2005) - With Memorial Day weekend,... Read More
Over a number of years there have been issues raised... Read More
How on earth can you help your family cope with... Read More
Even as a busy parent, I'm sure you've seen a... Read More
Although nothing anybody says can ever completely prepare a woman... Read More
Travel is a common theme in my life -- probably... Read More
Do you want your child to cooperate with you more?Children... Read More
Oh yes you have! Suddenly, "Where's Bobby?" You instantly realize... Read More
Why Me?"We should certainly count our blessings, but we should... Read More
What's in a name? Er?well, everything, really! Of course your... Read More
Often I will hear parents say, "I just ignore Jr.... Read More
If your child has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder then at... Read More
Unfortunately each year many young children drown in swimming pools,... Read More
Homework. It doesn't have to be a daily battle of... Read More
Diagnosing children and teens with ADHD can be a challenge.... Read More
Lincoln Stretch rentals Willowbrook ..A fun way to build your child's imaginationWriting is still... Read More
Puberty can be a difficult time for children. Not quite... Read More
Beyond cases reported to authorities, little knowledge exists on the... Read More
OK, moms and dads out there, we hear you when... Read More
Children are notoriously bad at drinking enough liquids. They are... Read More
A strange thing happened to me today. Or more precisely,... Read More
There are only two ways to get more money:1) Increase... Read More
Here is a top secret to make your child genius... Read More
"Hugging is healthy: it helps the body's immunity system, it... Read More
What exactly makes safety glasses different from regular glasses? There... Read More
One fantastic way to get your children involved in what... Read More
So you're going to become a father. Now is not... Read More
We know that you want your little guy or gal... Read More
The First Reason: For one thing, child development experts are... Read More
Dear Sir, It was with some interest that I read... Read More
There are times when my ideas of raising a child... Read More
Until about the age of six, children do not generally... Read More
I have always found the notion of toilet training a... Read More
Seven-year old Michael was on a school trip to a... Read More
When parents help their children learn to read, they help... Read More
I was reading "A Modern Infant Armada", a humor column... Read More
Thank you to all of our professional educators who dedicate... Read More
Voices have a way of falling into a pattern, not... Read More
Uh oh.Your kids arrive home with their school reports and... Read More
Salon visits can be scary experiences for small children: They... Read More
Parenting |