June 23rd, 2011 by admin
Children and Mistakesby Alina Tugend,
Author of Better By Mistake: The Unexpected Benefits of Being Wrong
It’s crucial that we, as parents, allow our children to make mistakes and fail and figure out how to recover from them. We can’t rush in and fix every problem, whether it be forgotten homework, an awkward social encounter or not getting a part in the school play.
We know from research that building children’s self-esteem and self-worth is much less about praise and gold stars and trophies for everyone and much more about creating resilience. Children who know how to screw up and fail and try again.
“While we do not want our children to face ongoing failure, to attempt to overprotect them and rush in whenever we fear they might fail at a task robs them of an important lesson, namely that mistakes are experiences from which to learn,” writes Robert Brooks and Sam Goldstein in their book Nurturing Resilience in Our Children. “It also communicates another subtle or perhaps not-so-subtle message to a child: We don’t think you are strong enough to deal with obstacles and mistakes.” Read the rest of this entry »
September 17th, 2008 by admin
By Bruce J. Gevirtzman,
Author of An Intimate Understanding of America’s Teenagers: Shaking Hands With Aliens
As September approaches, almost every schoolteacher in America fills with excitement and trepidation. It is, after all, a new year. Like baseball in spring, anything seems possible for a teacher in the fall when it comes to a renewal of spirit: new students, new gimmicks, new courses–and hope does spring eternal. Most good teachers take a mental inventory of what needs to be done to become more successful in their classrooms; unfortunately, however, that usually means having to dwell temporarily on the downside of education. Read the rest of this entry »
June 14th, 2008 by admin
Is homework wreaking havoc in your home? If the answer is YES, then finding the real causes behind the homework problems, and taking steps to resolve them, will improve both school success and family harmony. Read the rest of this entry »
June 12th, 2008 by admin
Timothy walked into STRONG Learning Center for his tutoring session, but that day he was too distressed to begin his schoolwork. “Every morning I have to wash my face, get dressed, comb my hair, brush my teeth, and eat breakfast,” he blurted. “And my mom wants me to feed the cat too! How many chores can a kid do? I probably have more chores than any ten-year-old in the world!” Read the rest of this entry »
March 13th, 2008 by admin
Ten Things To Tell Your Children Today!
1. I Love You, No Matter What. Let your children know you love them unconditionally. Emphasize that they do not always need to be good, successful, or smart for you to love them. Love their successes and failures.
2. I Respect You. Children deserve respect too! You will teach your children a lot about respecting other people’s values and boundaries, when you show them respect. Read the rest of this entry »
