Should Parents Put Pressure on Their Kids at School?
Tiffany: So, my son, uh, just started school this year and so I’ve been thinking about, a lot about, um, how much we as parents should influence his study habits. Like they’re sending home a lot of homework for him.
Nina: Yeah.
Tiffany: And they want our involvement in his, in his schoolwork and I just don’t know how much to push him while I’m at home because I know how hard they’re pushing him at school. So, I don’t know. What do you think?
Nina: I mean, you said he just started school? So, are we talking…
Tiffany: Yeah.
Nina: Wow, like first grade, kindergarten?
Tiffany: Kindergarten.
Nina: Um, I think at that age, it’s important to set good habits and, you know, set a little bit of discipline as far as like, “This is your homework. You have to do it. You have to turn it in on time.”
Nina: Just because a kid that age has never had that experience before.
Tiffany: Right.
Nina: Um, but I don’t think you have to, like, sit down and answer every single homework question with them. I know some parents do that.
Nina: But, then I think it kind of hinders the child from developing a sense of independence about their own schoolwork.
Tiffany: Right, I- I do think there’s a culture of, this helicopter parenting,
Nina: Yes.
Tiffany: um, that I just didn’t experience when I was a child. I mean, my parents were advocates for me in my schoolwork.
Tiffany: And they were definitely involved, but they never, you know, hovered over me and pushed me to be something more than I could handle at a certain age.
Tiffany: So, I think you’re right. The discipline is good. And, um, you know, helping a child, uh, attain the goals that you have as a family to set out and do, that’s good as well, but pushing too hard is- is not a positive thing I think.
Nina: I agree completely, especially at such a young age. I just think that’s absurd!
Vocabulary:
influence – to affect or change how someone acts or thinks, “Parents can heavily influence the types of food their children like to eat.”
study habits – the usual ways a person practices and learns schoolwork, “Turning off your phone is a great way to improve your study habits.”
involvement – taking part in an activity or being closely connected to it, “Teacher involvement makes a huge difference in how much students enjoy a class.”
set good habits – to establish regular, positive actions that become automatic, “It is best to set good habits, like brushing your teeth twice a day, when you are young.”
discipline – training yourself or others to follow rules and behave correctly, “Learning a musical instrument takes a lot of time and discipline.”
turn it in – to hand over a completed piece of work to a teacher or a boss, “Don’t forget to turn it in before the end of the day.”
hinders – makes it difficult for someone to do something or move forward, “A loud workspace hinders your ability to focus on deep tasks.”
sense of independence – a feeling that you can do things on your own without needing help, “Going to summer camp gave the young boy a real sense of independence.”
helicopter parenting – a style of parenting where parents pay way too much attention to their children and try to control everything they do, “Some teachers find helicopter parenting difficult to deal with when mothers try to do their kids’ science projects.”
advocates – people who support, protect, or speak up for someone else, “Good parents act as advocates for their children when they have trouble at school.”
hovered over – stayed very close to someone and watched everything they did, “The boss hovered over the new employee all morning to make sure no mistakes were made.”
attain – to successfully reach or get a goal after working hard, “With enough practice, you can attain a high score on the test.”
absurd – completely silly, ridiculous, or making no sense at all, “It is absurd to expect a toddler to sit perfectly still for three hours.”