Parental involvement versus being too close with your kids (stepdad, support, parents)
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Wondering your thoughts on being an involved parent versus being too close to them. We're talking elementary school age kids.
Examples for discussion:
Music:
Parent A supports the student with learning an instrument, helping pick an instrument, attending concerts, and encourgaging practicing.
Parent B supports kid by practicing side by side with child, learns instrument along with child, child only spends time with instrument when mom is also spending time with instrument.
School:
Parent A supports school by helping student at home, sending kid to school rested, full stomach (breakfast), and homework completed and ready to hand in. Helps with homework when requested by student.
Parent B supports school by volunteering in students class, helping with library, planning activities with class teacher, and is generally present during much of school day.
Reading:
Parent A dedicates a portion of each day to reading to child, but also expects child to read on his/her own some of the day.
Parent B spends signficant amount of time reading to child, has little to no expectation that child will read independently.
Recreational Activities:
Parent A lets child engage in recreational activities of his/her choice and expects child to entertain himself/herself while engaging in recreational activities (video gaming, bike riding, toys/animals, etc)
Parent B plays with child during most recreational activities, and child generally wants parent to be there when child is playing, and is very bored if parents aren't interested in spending time with him/her.
My 8-year-old wants to learn to play the piano. So does her stepdad. When I hire a teacher, they are both going to take lessons. They won't only be practicing at the same time, etc, but they are both learning.
I know a lot of parents who volunteer at the school, and some who spend a significant amount of time at the school. I don't think that is necessarily a bad thing.
1st grade and up should be reading on their own. That is usually part of their homework.
One of my kids just cannot play by herself. She needs an audience - me, her siblings, other kids. As she ages, we've had luck finding a few activities that consume her enough that she doesn't notice she is alone, but overall she wants SOMEONE there. It is exhausting. The other kids do not have that issue. They frequently play alone.
I think A it's great. What is extreme about it?
Nothing!
B on rhe other hand....
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