Provider or nurturer: what kind of parent are you?

A few weeks ago, as I waited to pick up my nine-year-old from school, I overheard his football teammate’s mother worry about her son’s sudden change in behaviour. Is it enough to simply review your child’s report card and find a tutor for the one subject that she scored less than 90% in, without understanding what she actually enjoys learning? You cannot suddenly walk into your daughter’s room to discuss a serious emotional issue, if you don’t build that connect through less serious and even mundane conversations,” she adds. “I often see parents mistake the aforesaid responsibility with accolades, and derive their personal self-worth from their child’s grades and success. As a parent it is important to ask yourself if you are fulfilling your own needs for meaning and purpose through your child, and correct course while you still have the opportunity.” Yes, we have evolved as a generation of parents that is extremely concerned about providing the ‘best’ for our children – best education, best facilities, best opportunities and the list is endless, but unfortunately the one thing that we are far from being the best in, is listening to our children and accepting and acknowledging them for who they are.