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!"
no-contract cleaning service Glenview ..Boredom, limited space and overflowing energy are a source of... Read More
In his recent newsletter "Happy Kids", parenting expert Michael Grose... Read More
My thirteen-year-old daughter recently called me up to say she... Read More
An estimated five million scooters will be sold this year... Read More
Nanny 911 Interview with Montel WilliamsI saw an interview with... Read More
My son recently had his third birthday party and it... Read More
Do your children have a McChildhood? Do they experience the... Read More
Does your child pout, blame and brood? Does he gripe,... Read More
Younger generations unfortunately will not understand how larger than life... Read More
It is so important to create an environment that promotes... Read More
Teens don't learn responsibility overnight. If you haven't been working... Read More
Finding out that a child has been born with a... Read More
Start some gardening traditions with your kids. Give them their... Read More
When you hear the phrase, 'guerrilla parenting techniques', what images... Read More
Dan Rather made a significant and tactical error and got... Read More
Life is comprised of pieces of time sprinkled with pivotal... Read More
If you are a member of a stepfamily, you know... Read More
As a parent your biggest responsibility is to prepare your... Read More
Using 14 "at" Flashcards To Teach Reading:This exercise helps your... Read More
Assuming there are no serious motor problems present, what can... Read More
Demanding children ? children who have entitlement issues ? seem... Read More
I hear from many parents that their child is stressed... Read More
The most common medications used in the treatment of Attention... Read More
According to a September 2004 study by the RAND Corporation,... Read More
Being a single mother is no easy task. I know.... Read More
house cleaning company Glencoe ..The debate in many towns continues throughout this country about... Read More
I know this Mom. She homeschools her 5 children, plus... Read More
"Family Matters" was the headline that caught my attention in... Read More
Many people still think that the game of chess is... Read More
Hints from Ruowen Wang? Keep a small basket filled with... Read More
The legend and myth of the Tooth Fairy is a... Read More
Salon visits can be scary experiences for small children: They... Read More
As thinking, acting human beings we have the ability to... Read More
Vinegar or honey, what do kids really want? "Toys, candy,... Read More
IntroductionChildren are the gifts of God to parents. That young... Read More
It's funny how people seem to think that they have... Read More
I have always been aware of my number one weakness:... Read More
Everyone loves penguins. And now, everyone has a chance to... Read More
My thirteen-year-old daughter recently called me up to say she... Read More
The time you will need to teach your children the... Read More
By not planning for the future we guarantee that we... Read More
Anyone can splurge on a formal dinner or a pricey... Read More
The cruel callous remarks made by our offspring can sometimes... Read More
The cost of being a parent and raising a child... Read More
Self-reliance and potential are two very important values that I'd... Read More
How are parents to know they are doing the right... Read More
There are times when my ideas of raising a child... Read More
Although it might seem pretty corny to a lot of... Read More
If you are a parent, then more than likely you... Read More
Under the "No Child Left Behind Act," public schools whose... Read More
Parenting |