When we were still in school, we were commonly taught to study hard, get high grades, and to put our education above anything else. These values were drilled so hard into our minds that we feared failure, believing that is demeaning, and putting shame to our parents and teachers.
While prioritizing studies isn’t bad at all, it can be detrimental to a child’s development, especially if taught in an unhealthy, obsessive way. For example, telling kids that failing grades are unacceptable may make them believe that they must never fail in the real world, too. And if they’re conditioned to disregard everything else but for their education, their social lives may be unstable, as the only world they know is school.
Thus, let’s change the mindset that a child’s life should only revolve around school. Apart from giving them the best education provided by a world-class international secondary school, let’s also instil modern values in them that they can use until their adulthood.
Teaching Children to Think Big
If you want to raise exceptional children, you must allow them to experience a healthy amount of frustration, and let them solve their own problems, instead of always stepping in to help. We should make them understand that their struggles and failures are “master teachers” that help them become stronger and more successful. It’s also critical to teach children how to get past their emotional obstacles, as being controlled by emotions can encourage small-mindedness and the creation of self-imposed limitations.
As teachers and parents, our goal should be making kids learn how to think as big as they can. Teach them to be responsible, and they’ll grow up to be dependable adults who own up to their mistakes and make up for them.
Give your kids chores and let them participate in extracurricular activities to ignite their sense of teamwork, which is essential in being a valuable asset to every environment or organization they’ll take part in.
Self-care should also be taught — allow your kids ample free time after they’ve accomplished all their assignments for the day, and it’ll teach them that taking a break is necessary after working hard.
If they easily get overwhelmed by problems, teach them to see solutions where everyone only sees problems, and to seek help when nothing that can think of seems to work. Praise them for every achievement they complete and support them in all their endeavours to keep them solution-focused and motivated.
Time-management is crucial, as well. Procrastination hinders many students from reaching their full potential; hence, train your kids to always be punctual and on-time with all their projects.
Most importantly, treat your kids with kindness at all times, and they’ll be the same to themselves and their peers. It’ll also stop them from being hard on themselves, which creates pressure.
Outdated Beliefs to Unlearn
Sadly, outdated beliefs are still being taught in many homes and educational institutions, and sometimes, the best values aren’t taught in school.
For example, sex education. Conservatives tend to frown upon it, but thankfully, its importance is starting to get more recognized. Children must be taught about consent and the importance of setting boundaries from an early age. And as they turn into teens, they should be enlightened on what a healthy relationship looks like, and how to recognize abuse. Studies about gender and birth control are also vital.
Another outdated belief is thinking that standardized tests measure your kid’s value. This is as false as college being a sure ticket to success. The true determinants of success aren’t always defined by one’s educational attainment, but rather, it’s by one’s perseverance, dedication, and attitude. School and good grades are important, but they won’t automatically bring our kids to their optimal growth.
