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s parents, we all want our children to succeed in life. We want them to be happy and fulfilled, and we want them to have the best possible future.

So it's natural that we often judge our children's future success based on their school results. If they get good grades, we assume they'll go on to have a great career. If they don't, we worry that they'll struggle in life.

Today my son received his grade 3 first term report card and the nervousness on my face was readable, I knew my son was watching me but I could not control my emotions.

He took me through the scores and his answer sheets, while my eyes were scanning all the mistakes he made on the paper. I read the scores with my voice going up and down depending on the scores.

My son- "Ma, you look sad"

Me- "No, I am fine" (trying hard not to look anxious)

I kept making mental notes as I went through his answer sheets so that I knew where we would need to work with my face having a stressed expression. The best part was he was very really happy with his scores and he told me clearly which subjects he would need to work hard on the next time and it was not those subjects that he scored lesson but those subjects he was interested in where he wanted to spend more time next semester.

This helped me calm down and I told him we could make a plan to practice it together to help him get better regularly.

I made a checklist for myself that would help me perform better when seeing my son's report card next time.

-Sit with the child, discuss and make a timetable to work consistently together.

-Don't blame them for what didn't go well.

-Working as a team, and discussing with the teachers can help the child feel confident and motivated.

I don't remember my parents sitting with me discussing my scores or trying to understand why I scored less in a particular subject.

Things have changed now - I as a parent like to discuss, see how my child is learning, and what he likes to learn. I feel more like we are doing this as a team.

It makes me closer to my son's learning journey, I can talk to his teacher and present my views on what could help him grow and we all can aid his learning.

According to Sweitzer who is a professional counselor, parental involvement is important to help kids grow as a learner. “Children pick up on parents' anxiety about school performance and can internalize it,” he says.

On the other hand, he also emphasizes that parents' lack of involvement can deprive children — of developing healthy habits that'll serve them later in life.”

So a balance to help our kids grow as an independent learners and at the same time keeping a check on them to help them grow by getting involved in their learning is important.

But the truth is, school grades are not the ultimate truth when it comes to judging your child's future success. Many other factors play a role in determining whether someone will be successful in life, and school grades are just one small part of the equation.

Here are some other things that are more important than school grades when it comes to predicting success in life:

1. Ability to persevere through difficult times

No matter what you do in life, there will be times when things get tough. The ability to persevere through these tough times is one of the most important predictors of future success.

2. Ability to take responsibility for your actions

Successful people are those who take responsibility for their actions. They don't make excuses or blame others when things go wrong. Instead, they accept responsibility and learn from their mistakes.

3. Ability to adapt to change

The world is constantly changing, and those who are successful are those who can adapt to these changes. They're flexible and open-minded, and they're always looking for new ways to improve.

4. Ability to set goals and achieve them

Successful people have a clear idea of what they want to achieve, and they put in the hard work to make it happen. They don't give up when things get tough, instead, they find a way to overcome the challenges and reach their goals.

5. Ability to build strong relationships

Strong relationships are important for success in all areas of life. Those who are successful know how to build and maintain positive relationships with others.

6. Ability to communicate effectively

Communication is a key skill in all areas of life, and those who are successful are those who know how to communicate effectively. They're clear and concise in their communication, and they understand the importance of body language and tone.

These are just some of the things that are more important than school grades when it comes to predicting success in life. So if your child isn't getting the best grades, don't worry too much. Other factors are more important in determining their future success. Just focus on helping them develop the skills and qualities that will help them succeed, no matter what their grades are.

Posted 
Jan 7, 2019
 in 
Alternate Learning
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