As parents we are all biased. We see our children through our loving eyes. To us, they can do no wrong. They are innocent and vulnerable. Be that as it may, it in our lapse of judgment in small everyday mundane things that eventually lead to kids doing all the things they do to get on our already frayed nerves. Among the many misdeeds that become a hot topic of conversation with other parents are:
- constantly lost in their cell phones
- answering back (with a hurtful tone)
- heeding the advise of the cool friend over yours
- not sleeping/ eating/ doing homework on time
- throwing tantrums/ showing sass
- rolling eyes
Any of that sound familiar?
Most of it we can chalk off to growing pains and a right of passage. As they get older and into their teens, we can also blame a part of it on raging teenage hormones. But the bitter truth is, some of the blame falls neatly on our shoulders too.
So how can we minimise this troublesome behaviour? Let’s look at it from the the perspective of teachers who spend a handsome amount of time with your children. Truth be told, most teachers I have worked with over about eight years are honestly on your side. They care about the overall holistic growth of the students they teach. However, the natural love a parent has for his or her child is a factor that is not present (although there is a great deal of fondness and adoration), and thus the bias I spoke about earlier does not get in the way of an objective assessment on how a child, your child can work to realise his or her true potential.
If there were a ‘wish list’ that teachers could share with parents, these little pointers would be on it: Continue reading