Quote:
Well, did the punishment fit? Were you required to study more, spend less time on distracting things? Were their expectations realistic for you? Were you praised and/or rewarded for other areas of life in which you excelled? Was your sister repremanded for areas of her life in which she could have excelled, but didn't?
When the cause of a low grade was not obvious (and sometimes even then), I always requested a teacher conference to discuss the situation, determine what could be done to prevent the low grade from recurring. There are times with each of my kids when I can honestly say that the issue was my child, other times when it was the teacher and other times when it was both. It is not fair to punish a child for something that is beyond their control, but the reality is that every choice in life has consequences--some immediate, some much later; some strong and unmistakable, others subtle; and of course, some favourable and some not so.
As a parent, my goal is to raise a responsible, thinking adult who makes reasoned decisions, and who can excel in any career he/she chooses. Just as I would be remiss in not potty training my child or teaching him/her to walk and talk or how to do common household chores, I would be remiss if I ignored their education or left it entirely up to them with no parental oversight.
Well, did the punishment fit? Were you required to study more, spend less time on distracting things? Were their expectations realistic for you? Were you praised and/or rewarded for other areas of life in which you excelled? Was your sister repremanded for areas of her life in which she could have excelled, but didn't?
When the cause of a low grade was not obvious (and sometimes even then), I always requested a teacher conference to discuss the situation, determine what could be done to prevent the low grade from recurring. There are times with each of my kids when I can honestly say that the issue was my child, other times when it was the teacher and other times when it was both. It is not fair to punish a child for something that is beyond their control, but the reality is that every choice in life has consequences--some immediate, some much later; some strong and unmistakable, others subtle; and of course, some favourable and some not so.
As a parent, my goal is to raise a responsible, thinking adult who makes reasoned decisions, and who can excel in any career he/she chooses. Just as I would be remiss in not potty training my child or teaching him/her to walk and talk or how to do common household chores, I would be remiss if I ignored their education or left it entirely up to them with no parental oversight.