Indeed, parents always desire the best for their children. However, during the upbringing and caring of their children, parents often fail to realize the adverse aspects of parental pressure to succeed faster and accomplish more. The parental pressure on kids resulting from academic expectations or physical activities often does more harm than good. As the school reopens, parents’ expectations for their kids to perform well in academics or sports emerge. However, we often fail to realize that this pressure can lead to stress at a younger age that can affect their mental and social abilities, usually noticeable later. Read on how to swap this parental pressure with parental support to help the kids gain confidence among their peers and society.
How does parental pressure affect mental health?
Parents have a significant role in children’s emotional and social behavior. Studies conducted in schools have revealed how parental pressure negatively affects both boys and girls. According to Leff, parental pressure is when parents force their children to compete, get better performance, and continue practicing, positively related to stress and negatively associated with enjoyment and motivation. Intense parental pressure to excel in schools leads to general anxiety, worry, lack of confidence, and stress in children. Such pressure affects the quality of the relationship between parents and children. Therefore, parents should strategize their involvement to keep the child’s motivation with their interest and satisfaction.
Why do we need to swap parental pressure with parental support?
It is crucial to understand how the children’s statement as “My father/mother explains to me when I do not understand” is vital than “My father/mother pushes to work harder and get excellent grades in school.“
Although, parents justify their pressure to improve their children’s academic outcomes. Despite that, it is important to note how boys perceive the parental pressure to interfere. Such stress leads to a lack of confidence, concern about making mistakes, and even doubting their abilities for both boys and girls. Findings have shown that parental pressure leads to a lack of motivation, resulting in more dropouts. One of the horrible aspects of parental pressure is the physiological change in the children’s brain that puts them at a more prominent risk for mental health disorders and substance use and abuse. Parents have a crucial role in children’s growth and motivational orientation. Positive parental behavior and support lead to motivation and improves the children’s performance and competitiveness. Read on to find the ways how parental support can boost your child’s confidence.
Lowering the school-related stress
Various studies have shown that parental support is crucial in dampening school-related stress in children, especially at middle school to high school. Such children have better social skills and classroom behavior and earn better grades. One of the tips to the parents is to get involved in their child’s school, daycare, and various places of learning. Such involvement leads to a better understanding of your child’s daily curriculum and a close view of their behavior apart from home. Schools can play a significant role in organizing parent and teacher meet.
Attaining better grades
Experts have concurred that children who get parental support achieve better grades in schools. It is essential to understand that parental involvement directly resonates with children’s higher grades. Parents should strive to create a positive home environment to encourage learning. The socio-economic status has a minuscule role in succeeding at schools. Instead of carrying a high expectation of their child’s achievement, they should communicate reasonable expectations.
Helping kids to discover their interest rather than flowing with peer and parental pressure
Parental involvement should aim to discover their children’s abilities by offering them more real-world experiences. Parents should take their children on excursions and vacations to new places and show them a real-world experience instead of cram the books’ experiences. Parents need to give their children the tools to succeed rather than paving their way to success. The children need to take risks and explore new areas that might interest them rather than staying in their comfort zone.
Improving the graduation rates
Children who receive parental support are more likely to enroll in colleges and graduate. Interestingly, as many would argue to avoid helicopter parenting, however, it is noted that the involvement of parents in college life has proven beneficial. Such kids have a better rate of graduation and finish college faster and get a good job. Kids need help from their parents at whatever age it would be, without suffocating their independence and decision-making ability.
Better communication with the education providers
Parents’ involvement and support at the school and college level boost up the morale of teachers and lead to better understanding. The conducive environment helps create a favorable setting to benefit the children’s education and change teachers’ perception of support and responsiveness. The Parents-teacher relationship also helps to understand the cultural differences and address the individual family needs.
Build connection of trust between parents and children
Parents involved in their children’s schedules and class activities have an elevated level of trust with their kids. They need to steer their kids through disappointments and failures rather than reprimanding them or embarrass their shortcomings. It is essential to share the excitement and joys in every milestone, no matter how big or small they may be. Show them you love and care for them to reinforce their positive outlook towards life, education, sports, or whatever interests them. No matter, whatever is the outcome!
