Parents Have the Power

They can boost their child’s potential to prepare them for their future.

Sometimes the current perspective that a person has about another causes them to pre-judge them. People may pigeonhole them by assuming that their destiny is limited.

This is what happens when high expectations dominate a person’s mindset. It causes them to believe in the potential of others.

Parents who believe in the child’s potential greatly influence the direction of their future. This brief story gives mothers and fathers the confidence to do so.

Just Imagine

• What if your child’s teachers believed that they would not be able to learn anything for the entire school year?
• What if teachers failed to offer any encouragement to students who lacked self-confidence?

If this represented the reality of students everywhere, I doubt the negative influence of such teachers would make any contribution to support their education. I wholeheartedly believe this is true because their false assumptions and beliefs about the capacity for students to learn contribute to the professional behavior towards their learners.

This represents the self-fulfilling prophecy. I offer my perspective about the negative influence ill-thinking people, including teachers, have on others, including students in my book called “Repair the Broken Pieces: A System to Awaken Positive Relations Between the Family and Educational Provider Through Engagement Fusion”. I wrote the following about this topic.

“According to to the self-fulfilling prophecy, the internal beliefs that an individual maintains about those that they encounter and interact with will ultimately manifest in their actions toward them…consequently, those interactions and overall treatment will cause the targeted person or group to behave or react as expected.”

Here is the powerful thing about the self-fulfilling prophecy with teachers. The behaviors that teachers have about students will cause their behaviors toward them to result in their students ultimately becoming the type of learner the teacher believes they are.

I know my example was a very harsh one to use. However, it illustrates my point about the way that expectations influence outcomes for children as well as young people.

Advice for Parents

By the pure nature of their profession, teachers are trained to maintain high levels of expectation for their students. And most teachers do. That is why they integrate mechanisms to motivate their students and to celebrate their incremental success. Teachers also expose students to academic rigor to challenge them and to guide their overall growth and development.

When teachers utilize sustainable strategies to expect great things from students, learners rise to the occasion as evidenced by their grades, progress reports, grade level promotions, and so much more.

This explanation provides parents with a targeted takeaway. Just as high teacher expectations contribute to student success, high parental expectations place their children on the path to achieving wins in their lives.

Parents simply need to believe in their children. They need to show them that they have confidence and will do their best to support their pursuits both inside and outside of school. Additionally, when children know that their mothers and fathers are devoted to their unique endeavors, they are become inspired to persevere and grow to become the best version of themselves.

Here are some practical ways parents can establish high expectations for their children in a nurturing manner.

1. Parents should not underestimate the power of their child’s interests. When children show their passion for an activity or display a unique ability, parents should encourage and support their growth in these areas. Whether it involves providing lessons, practicing related skills or purchasing supplies, the involvement of parents is likely to lead to their child developing special talents that can contribute to their destiny. In other words, participating in these activities could lead to a college scholarship, their career path is paved, or a lifelong recreational activity that provides them with continuous pleasure and contributes to their overall well-being.
2. Mothers and fathers should create opportunities to celebrate the success of their children by giving them periodic incentives. No matter how great or how small, a system of rewards will motivate children to become perseverant.
3. Parents should let their children know that they believe in them. Children will also develop self-confidence when they know that their parents are proud of them.
4. It is the responsibility of parents to help their children develop the confidence to believe in their potential. Regardless of their age, this gives children permission to dream and establish long and short-term goals for themselves. Children also develop the capacity to embrace a promise-filled future when their parents inspire and activate their confidence.

The Final Word

It’s just that simple. Parents possess the capacity to positively influence their child’s future.

All they have to do is believe in their children. All mothers and fathers have to do show their unconditional support as their children embrace their unique interests, skills, and talents.

Here is my golden ticket that helps me accomplish my mission.

Dr. Deborah M. Vereen is a retired Teacher and School Administrator. Her website is www.Drdeborahmvereen.com and her YouTube Channel is https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCS1DPhBeA29UlybU9jzDkdQ.