Saturday, August 22, 2009

Letting them make mistakes

How does a parent let a child make mistakes so they can learn? I'm not talking about the wee ones, but the ones on the precipice of teen years, the ones who need to learn lessons for life. These lessons hurt, and as a parent, it is hard to watch, especially as you are at the point of just realizing that your child is growing up.

Take for example the child who plays an instrument and does not practice. Upon auditioning, they are not given the chair they hoped for, and got a rather critical email from the director. Now part of me wants to say, well, are you surprised? Another part wants to say you tried you're best,even if it seems like a lie, just to make said child feel better. This was a mistake the child made, they were reminded to practice, and didn't, and in turn suffered the consequences. It still hurts to watch.

These are the little life lessons, that as a parent, I hope are taken to heart. It seems like all the tears and chair kicking would be in vain otherwise.

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