| Picture this. Your child comes home with a special | | | | Sometimes the urge to protect goes a bit too far.As |
| assignment from school. He's very excited about it and | | | | parents, it's not our job to see that our children never |
| puts in a lot of time to perfect it. He's thrilled with the | | | | experience sadness, disappointment or frustration. As |
| result and can't wait to take it to school.A few days | | | | much as most of us would like to, we're probably not |
| later, he comes through the door, picks a fight with a | | | | going to be able to keep those things out of their lives |
| younger sibling and bursts into tears. Finally, he | | | | -- now OR when they become adults. But, we can do |
| manages to tell you that the project he was so proud | | | | the next best thing.We can invest the time that it takes |
| of was 'unacceptable,' that the teacher wants him to | | | | to prepare them to face life's struggles.Instead of |
| do it over.What's your first reaction?a) Protective - "I'll | | | | trying to shield our kids from 'negativity' let's help them |
| straighten this out." | | | | embrace tough situations. Why not use the bumps |
| b) Embarrassed - "MY son always gets good | | | | provided by the classroom or the playground to build |
| grades." | | | | the strengths they'll need when applying for a job or |
| c) Angry - "That teacher is picking on my son!" | | | | surviving an unhappy supervisor?Isn't that real |
| d) Worried - "This could be damaging to his self | | | | learning?Andrea Patten is the co-author of What Kids |
| esteem." | | | | Need to Succeed: Four Foundations of Adult |
| e) Grateful- "He's got someone who's really going to | | | | Achievement now available on Amazon.comTo find |
| push him to reach his potential this year."I think that lots | | | | out more about The Four Foundations or to request |
| of parents want to believe that 'e' is the right answer.... I | | | | that Andrea speak to your group, please visit you're |
| just remember wishing that it wasn't so difficult to stifle | | | | not raising a child, you're raising a future adult! |
| all of the other reactions on my way to that answer! | | | | |