| As good parents, we worry about the pressure our | | | | organizational skills is at a major disadvantage. Children |
| children are under to get good grades from high school | | | | who learn such skills young have a decisive edge in |
| onward, and whether it is really necessary. While we | | | | the later stages of life, while those who don’t find it |
| do understand that academic success matters, we | | | | very hard to change unorganized behavior patterns as |
| also wish that there were a better way of defining it. | | | | they grow older. Again, the onus on good learning and |
| These days, raising children in such a competitive | | | | as a result, good grades requires a child to structure |
| world seems to be more about being a taskmaster | | | | time and effort in an organized way. Being able to do |
| and less about being a parent. | | | | that gives children a feeling of achievement and control |
| The accent on good grades in high school can | | | | over their lives. When sufficiently involved parents insist |
| definitely take some of the joy out of childhood. Being | | | | that their kids perform their education-related |
| a parent requires us to inculcate good learning habits in | | | | obligations, they are doing more than ensuring good |
| our children, often despite understandable resistance | | | | grades – they are giving them the gift of personal |
| from them. Without doubt, a less challenging academic | | | | freedom. |
| environment would be more than welcome for our | | | | Finally, a child’s good grades (where the focus is on |
| kids. Nevertheless, good grades are important for | | | | building learning skills and comprehension, and good |
| more than just the obvious reasons. | | | | grades are a result of those skills) indicate that a |
| Good grades come from good study habits and | | | | certain educational proficiency has been achieved. This |
| strong learning skills, and the self-discipline that such | | | | further implies a broader world view. With study, our |
| skills require gives our children an academic edge in this | | | | mental horizons expand. A child who does not study |
| world. Self-discipline is also very necessary in | | | | sufficiently during the most formative years of his life |
| wholesome child development. There are various | | | | misses a golden opportunity to absorb knowledge |
| means of helping a child learn self-discipline, but | | | | about the world he lives in. Not all parents can show |
| organized education is in itself a powerful medium. | | | | their children every country and culture in the world |
| After all, getting good grades requires kids to schedule | | | | – but all parents can ensure that their children do not |
| study time, complete homework (with help from | | | | lack knowledge about it. Knowledge is power, and |
| involved parents), attend school regularly and | | | | good grades are therefore a reliable measure of |
| participate in extra-curricular activities. That is why for | | | | empowerment in a child. If this fact is given an |
| kids to receive good student assessments in school, | | | | appropriate degree of parent involvement, schools will |
| their parents and teachers need to work | | | | be able to contribute much more significantly to |
| collaboratively towards building good learning skills in | | | | well-rounded children who will grow up to be enabled, |
| the child. | | | | empowered adults. |
| In a very complex world, a child without basic | | | | |