Parenting 101- Building Self Esteem

You already know that I am into building self esteem. You saw the cupcakes I made! I try to do the same thing with my kids. I try to praise them when they do something worthwhile. And I try to look for things that are praiseworthy.


The other night while I was making the cupcakes, I reflected on a conversation Parker and I had about school and grades a couple of weeks ago. I think it reflects my superior methods of building self esteem.

Parker: I am soooooo mad!
Me: Why?
Parker: Well I got three A+s and three A's and then one stupid B+ in Honors Geometry.

Me: Did you talk to your Geo teacher?
Parker: Yeah, I had an 89 in the class and he said that if I did well on the final, he would see what he could do. There were three parts to the final. I got a 93 on one, a 94 on another and then a stupid 82 on the third part. I went and talked to him and he wouldn't budge. I asked if I could do extra credit or test corrections or anything to bump the 89 to a 90. He's such a jerk.

Me: You can't say that! You hand picked him. You went into your counselor and specifically requested him. So........... Well you did what you could. You tried to talk to him......Anyway, you did really well. What did you get your A+'s in?

Parker: Hmmm.........Leadership, Science and in Social Studies I had a 118%.

Me: Duh! Leadership is an easy A. Science...... Social Studies......You got A+'s? What are these classes? Your school is stupid. I know you. I mean you're smart, but you aren't that smart. What are you doing? Going to a school for ants? (Reference to Zoolander) What kind of school do you go to?

Parker: Snorts

I think he feels good about his efforts for his first semester in high school. And I'm obviously proud! I'm ticked about that B+ and I'm not happy that he just got a 118% in Social Studies. It was a 135% and every time he got 100% on a quiz or something, it just kept bringing his grade down. I told him he should just start making extra credit questions up and adding them to the test. But he isn't that driven. He settled. He took the lousy 118%.




I think I'm going to buy him some motivational posters for this next semester so he'll do better.