Creating Momentum Through Small Successes

Parents often exclaim to us, “Why can’t she just get his act together? She seems so discouraged lately. What happened to that positive, confident child we used to know?” We hear these statements pretty often nowadays. Parents come to us wondering why their child has become so unmotivated and unengaged over the last several months. No parent wants to see their children struggling in school, failing to turn-in their assignments, and falling further and further behind. Parents instinctively try to help in whatever way they can, sometimes trying to rescue the child and solve her problems themselves. 

Fixing all of the child’s problems, as it turns out, may not be the best approach. There is no question she needs someone to give her some suggestions as to what she needs to be focusing on and which areas she needs to improve. Unfortunately, stepping-in and solving all of the child’s problems really just undermines her efforts and sends the wrong message. She will begin to realize that mom and dad will bail her out whenever she needs the help, that she does not have to take complete ownership of her learning process. This may lead her down the wrong path.

We want to cultivate accountability and a sense of responsibility. We want to slowly teach the child how to solve her own problems independently, one step at a time. Whether we offer her an Executive Functioning Coach or a tutor specializing in learning challenges, we want to generate small successes in some academic areas, which will build on themselves. One skill-at-a-time, we are fostering incremental growth, teaching her how to stand on her own two feet and tackle the academic demands placed on her. 

We can create momentum through small successes that occur over time. These successes lead to improved self confidence, an elevation of mood, and an increase in student engagement. These are all indicators that the child is developing her skills and making progress towards becoming an autonomous, self-reliant learner, which will make any parent smile.