Dealing with the anxiety of your child's school report
Receiving a school report can be a day filled with anxiety and uneasiness for both the parent and the child. It can all get a bit too much to handle at times.
Listen as Jane talks about anxiety parents have when receiving school reports below, or read the details under the podcast.
As a girl who struggled through the academic side of school (the social and creative side was more my thing), my dad very early on taught me he wasn't worried about the mark but more about the remark on the report.
This was a gift, a real pearl, as I now charter the choppy waters of hope and exception for my children's efforts, fueled by pure intention mostly, but sometimes also by fear of what this means for their uncertain future.
If your child battles at school, I know how scary it is cheering from the sidelines, but it's good to note as I'm sure you know your child's essence, magic, and resonance far exceeds a number out of 10, and can't be summed up in a percentage.
Rather gauge their effort by looking out for things like 'he or she tried his or her best' or 'has shown improvement', 'is a good friend', 'is kind', 'is confident', 'is polite', 'shares with ease', and 'is happy at school'.
For me, all these things are like treasure because being a happy, kind, caring, considerate, and confident person who tries their best is what life is about, and far surpasses where you came in class.
Praise attributes that make the world a better place. Chase passion. We never stop learning. X
Also read: New book helps parents navigate the world of parenting