by Elaine Sigal
Can we ever be objective about our children? Can we look at them and see their faults as easily as we see their strengths? Do we always see them through the proverbial rose colored glasses?
I maintain that most of us only see our children subjectively and if this is true, how can we be good, no, great parents? It is hard. We need to be honest about our children’s strong suits so that we can guide them along a good path. But what if we only see the good? What if we can’t see the negatives? Then we can’t help them. We don’t need to be helicopter parents; we don’t need to be tiger moms; we just need to look at reality. Then we can help. Then we can be true parents and be a really great support system. It is important to praise our children and take pride in what they are. It is also imperative to let them know when they are wrong and offer suggestions to help. It is important to know that not every child is a genius; not every child will win a Nobel Prize; not every child will go to an Ivy League school. What every child needs is a parent who will help, support and be there through thick and thin.
What do you do when your 8 year old is arrested for shoplifting a pack of baseball cards from Woolworths? What do you do when the police tell your child that he better not follow a life’s path of crime since he will never be successful at it? What do you do when your 6 year old child calls the police on you for child abuse because you insisted that he do his homework? Do you laugh or do you try and be the parent who knows that these issues could become serious? Do you realize that your child is testing limits? Do you take the responsibility to see that maybe your parenting skills need work? Do you see that maybe your child is not perfect? Do you see that you are not perfect? Can you be objective or are you always subjective?
Elaine received her BA from The College of New Jersey and her MA in English from Villanova University. She is licensed to teach English, Speech and Theater in two states. Elaine founded and ran a classroom based 'brick and mortar' educational company from 1995 - 2009. Elaine has significant experience matching learners to the appropriate educators and has a large available network in the educational arena. Elaine also taught English on the university level, created adult education courses, managed a credit recovery program, managed all areas of supplemental development, and established a 501c3. She has over 35 years of experience in the education field.
STIZZiL.com - is an online educational resource offering individual and group lessons tailored to any student’s needs at his/her convenience and safety, taught by experienced U.S. licensed teachers through state-of-the-art interactive web tools, such as live web video. STIZZiL will match the best teacher to the right student based on an in-depth survey filled out by the student. Teachers undergo a rigorous background inquiry with only the best chosen to join the STIZZiL staff. All sessions are recorded and archived for student review and quality assurance.
Can we ever be objective about our children? Can we look at them and see their faults as easily as we see their strengths? Do we always see them through the proverbial rose colored glasses?
I maintain that most of us only see our children subjectively and if this is true, how can we be good, no, great parents? It is hard. We need to be honest about our children’s strong suits so that we can guide them along a good path. But what if we only see the good? What if we can’t see the negatives? Then we can’t help them. We don’t need to be helicopter parents; we don’t need to be tiger moms; we just need to look at reality. Then we can help. Then we can be true parents and be a really great support system. It is important to praise our children and take pride in what they are. It is also imperative to let them know when they are wrong and offer suggestions to help. It is important to know that not every child is a genius; not every child will win a Nobel Prize; not every child will go to an Ivy League school. What every child needs is a parent who will help, support and be there through thick and thin.
What do you do when your 8 year old is arrested for shoplifting a pack of baseball cards from Woolworths? What do you do when the police tell your child that he better not follow a life’s path of crime since he will never be successful at it? What do you do when your 6 year old child calls the police on you for child abuse because you insisted that he do his homework? Do you laugh or do you try and be the parent who knows that these issues could become serious? Do you realize that your child is testing limits? Do you take the responsibility to see that maybe your parenting skills need work? Do you see that maybe your child is not perfect? Do you see that you are not perfect? Can you be objective or are you always subjective?
Elaine received her BA from The College of New Jersey and her MA in English from Villanova University. She is licensed to teach English, Speech and Theater in two states. Elaine founded and ran a classroom based 'brick and mortar' educational company from 1995 - 2009. Elaine has significant experience matching learners to the appropriate educators and has a large available network in the educational arena. Elaine also taught English on the university level, created adult education courses, managed a credit recovery program, managed all areas of supplemental development, and established a 501c3. She has over 35 years of experience in the education field.
STIZZiL.com - is an online educational resource offering individual and group lessons tailored to any student’s needs at his/her convenience and safety, taught by experienced U.S. licensed teachers through state-of-the-art interactive web tools, such as live web video. STIZZiL will match the best teacher to the right student based on an in-depth survey filled out by the student. Teachers undergo a rigorous background inquiry with only the best chosen to join the STIZZiL staff. All sessions are recorded and archived for student review and quality assurance.
