I think it would be safe to say, that as parents we all value education. We all want our kids to work hard and do well in school so that they will have a better chance of achieving their dreams.
Well, this might come as a surprise, it is not how well you do in school that predicts your success later in life.
It is hard for me to admit it, but we all know people who were awful at school and still seem to be successful at life. Actually, I can think of many friends, relatives and acquaintances who never succeeded in school but have become outstanding in their professions.
We need to keep this in mind when we parent our kids. Our generation seems to have taken education to a new level. We are way too involved in our kid’s school work. We become stressed by every one of our kid’s academic setbacks. We need to remember that school is important, but it is not everything.
We need to become a little more relaxed about academics. Kids need time to develop their learning skills at their own pace. Instead of always focusing on their grades lets try to focus on fostering a lifetime love of learning.
I try tell my kids, “It is not only your grades that matter, it is more important that you try to enjoy something about what you are learning.”
Ironically, when you let your kids know that their grades are not what is important to you, they become more responsible about their schoolwork. They develop an internal motivation to succeed. They work hard and put in lots of effort for themselves. This is what we call a work ethic and is probably one of the best ways to help foster success in our kids.
Let us know what you think.
Can we become a little more laissez fare about academics?
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