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Your Child's Mental Health Is More Important Than Their Grades
Why pushing perfect grades in elementary school can hinder your child's growth. By Kirsten Tame
As a 20-year veteran of Central Florida education, an academic coach and the parent of a high schooler, I’ve come across far too many parents who believe that elementary school grades are of the utmost importance. Unfortunately, I’ve also encountered many students for whom that mindset was harmful and who are still dealing with the fallout of poor study habits, demotivation and lack of confidence through high school and beyond. When kids are in elementary school, parents should keep an eye on trends, patterns or sudden changes in their child's overall grades, but it's not necessary to monitor and obsess over every grade that comes home. Rather, parents should allow kids to use those early years in their educational journey to explore their individual learning style. It’s a time for parents to be a guide on the side, stepping in to encourage and support kids as they develop their skills but allowing them some independence, too. If we want children to develop good mental health qualities like confidence, perseverance and resilience, we must give space for mistakes and imperfection. It’s messy and may produce some low grades, but that is perfectly okay! We all learn these qualities best through stumbling and figuring out how to get back up.
22 PLAYGROUND Feb / Mar 2023