Report cards can be the cause of much stress between parents and teenagers and I have spoken about this on the podcast many times. It can be a stressful time for parents but also for children. Kids today are under so much pressure to achieve that I believe it is almost at breaking point. In this Episode 26: Exams, Tests, End Of The Year Pressure…Help! I discuss ways in which you can deal with this, specifically in helping you shift your focus from the grade or result to the process, to help your children develop courage and self-motivation. It’s such an important thing to think about and I was fortunate to have been given the opportunity to understand this early on in my life as a parent. As such I wanted to share some of the things that I have learned so that you can adopt some of my strategies around discussing report cards to help you build courage and self-esteem and motivation in your child. I invite you to really think about what report cards and grades really mean for you. Perhaps you can take some time to reflect on these questions: How are report cards viewed in your family? …Read more →
Category Archives: Homework & Report Cards
Report Cards – ‘A’ Grades and Brussels Sprouts… you can’t force them!
Over the last few weeks I have been writing about Conscious Parenting and how we can become more conscious and aware in our parenting practice. In a recent post, I spoke specifically about our own parenting behavior and how our inner landscape profoundly influences our outer way of being. Remember the iceberg slide? Today I am going to discuss reports cards because believe it or not, they are on the horizon. As such, I wanted to take some time to reflect and hopefully give you some ideas for becoming a more conscious parent pertaining to this. Earlier this year, just before the end of the summer term, I happened to have six Grade 7 students in my car and they had all just received their report cards: “How many A’s did you get?” piped up one boy “5 – Why?” “I get $50 for every A I get” he replied! “Really? I don’t get cash for A’s…. That means you get $250!!” “How many A’s did you get?” asked another kid “None” replied the child quietly. “None, you mean you didn’t even get one A – wow” That night at dinner my son asked me why we didn’t pay him …Read more →
MORE HOMEWORK – YOU’RE KIDDING ME?
Homework…………. just the mention of the word is enough to raise the hairs. What is it with homework, why does it cause so much anxiety in so many homes? The first question I like to ask parents is “whose homework is it?” and the second question I often ask is “what role do you play in the process?” I think we all have to ask ourselves the question “What purpose does homework really serve?” and of course the answer to this lies largely with the individual teachers and the homework policy in your school. I like to put homework into three categories: Homework given for the sake of giving homework Work to be done at home that for whatever reason cannot be done during school or supplements that which is being done at school Work to be done at home to give students an opportunity to work alone and manage time What I call “constructive homework” (2 and 3 above) can teach children a myriad of things about life in general and many life skills. As parents, we need to take the time to explain to our children the purpose homework serves and get them to see the potential benefits …Read more →
