No Parenting Cheat Codes
About once a year I get approached by a parent of one of Jordan's classmates. They want to know how we made him so smart or what we did to make him love reading or math. Let me tell you something. If there is one thing I have learned as a parent, it's that you can't make a child do anything.
All you can do is provide them with the tools they need to be successful. I read to Jordan every night from age 2 to about 8. Long after he could read for himself we laid together and took turns reading to each other. We spent lots of time with him answering his questions about the world.
His knowledge was born from an intense desire to learn. He was, and still is, a sponge. He wants to know everything about everything. We didn't have him practicing math facts in Pre-k and Kindergarten because we wanted him to be the next Einstein. He asked for them. He was genuinely interested and caught on quickly, so we made it our job to always provide him with a challenge. That hasn't always been easy.
Presenting education in a fun way is the best way to foster interests. Every child has been blessed with his or her own gifts. It's our job to nurture whatever that is. Academic study may not be it. Jordan is a gifted student, but he has trouble making himself a sandwich. All kids are different.
We can't expect all of them to fit into the same box. As parents we shouldn't be trying to compare and conform them. We should be supporting their individual gifts. There is no magic or secret to raising an honor student. All you can do is throw what you can at them and hope some of it sticks. Isn't that all parenting is anyway?
All you can do is provide them with the tools they need to be successful. I read to Jordan every night from age 2 to about 8. Long after he could read for himself we laid together and took turns reading to each other. We spent lots of time with him answering his questions about the world.
His knowledge was born from an intense desire to learn. He was, and still is, a sponge. He wants to know everything about everything. We didn't have him practicing math facts in Pre-k and Kindergarten because we wanted him to be the next Einstein. He asked for them. He was genuinely interested and caught on quickly, so we made it our job to always provide him with a challenge. That hasn't always been easy.
Presenting education in a fun way is the best way to foster interests. Every child has been blessed with his or her own gifts. It's our job to nurture whatever that is. Academic study may not be it. Jordan is a gifted student, but he has trouble making himself a sandwich. All kids are different.
We can't expect all of them to fit into the same box. As parents we shouldn't be trying to compare and conform them. We should be supporting their individual gifts. There is no magic or secret to raising an honor student. All you can do is throw what you can at them and hope some of it sticks. Isn't that all parenting is anyway?
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