I was at a GCSE choices evening at a local school the other day. The evening is run by the school so that the Year 9 students can make a decision about the subjects that they would like to study at GCSE level. As the children move into Year 10 the subjects that they can study change and new subjects become available. The school had a number of displays about the subjects available. As the parents and their teens walked round looking at the subjects available, a number of parents could be heard telling their children "you should study......" followed by the appropriate subject. Are these parents enabling their children to make good decisions? All parents want to make sure that their child selects subjects that they will enjoy studying and will be successful at. Perhaps a better way for parents to start this conversation would be "What subjects do you enjoy doing now?" or "What interests you about this subject?". It shows that you are listening to what your child is interested in and what they want to study. If a child is interested in the subject, they will work hard to achieve the qualification but if it is subject they have chosen because they felt they had to, there is little motivation for them to make a success of it.
We are trying to ensure our children become responsible young adults and yet some of the most important decisions that they will get to make are being made for them by their parents. Are you enabling your child to make good decisions or are you making the decisions for them?
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