Amanda Roos taught high school for 9 years before turning her attention to raising her own children full-time. As she mothered her children, she realized that some of the principles that were invaluable to her in the classroom applied equally well to parenting. In this podcast, Saren and Amanda discuss helpful ideas including:
- Accepting and embracing repetition
- Helping our children do self-assessment (rather than just heaping on the praise or the criticism)
- The Goldilocks Principle
- The value of “tinkering”
Show Notes
Parenting Like a Teacher (Amanda’s new article that is referenced several times in this podcast)
The Joy of Reading Kit (created by Amanda to help you make reading time more effective and fun)
* Image from Microsoft Office Images
Music from Creations by Michael R. Hicks.
Audio Editing by Christy Elder
LOVED this podcast so much! The first 15 minutes were full of ah-ha moments for me…loved what Saren said about how repetition is part of life and that as mothers we need to be the durable objects…loved the whole thing, but if you don’t have time to listen to the whole thing, definitely listen to the first 12-15 minutes! It definitely gave me some perspective and hope!
I listened to this podcast a few months ago and had lots of thoughts as I listened (I was also a high school English teacher before I became a mom), but I was nursing a baby and couldn’t immediately get to a computer to comment, so I dictated a couple of notes into my phone so I could comment later. Hmmm. Months have passed, and not all of my dictations even make sense to me anymore! So hopefully these comments actually connect to the content of the podcast and aren’t just completely random.
As I listened, I thought about an experience I had with my high school math teacher. I am terrible at math, but I am a perfectionist and wanted an A in advanced algebra because I accepted nothing less of myself.
I worked my butt of that semester, meeting often with the teacher after school and studying for tests for hours. In the end, I pulled off the A, but one day after working with my teacher, I said, “Mr. Bartholomew, I stink at math.” He looked at me and said very seriously, “Yes, you do.” I was stunned. Wasn’t a teacher supposed to encourage me? I never expected him to agree with my criticism of myself! But he continued, “Rachel, WHO CARES if you stink at math. You are good at so many other things! What do you want to be when you grow up?” “An English teacher or a music teacher,” I responded. “And you will be amazing at that!” he said, “You are truly gifted in those subjects! I am proud of you for working so hard this semester, but it’s okay if you aren’t good at everything in life.” Isn’t that advice pretty awesome coming from a high school teacher? I’ve never forgotten it. I think this is something we as parents need to teach our kids too. You’re NOT going to be good at everything in life, and that’s okay. It’s important to work hard and try your best, but it’s okay not to excel in every area and to feel okay about that.
I also thought about this religious article as I listened to the podcast: https://www.lds.org/ensign/2013/09/the-lord-never-shouted-at-me?lang=eng I related to what the author said about how she decided she needed to treat her wayward son as she would treat one of her students. Here’s a quote, but the whole article is worth reading: “At this time [that my son was rebelling], I was serving as an institute teacher. I found it wasn’t difficult to deal calmly and considerately with the youth at church because I did not have to struggle with the emotions of a mother. I tried to look at my son not with the eyes of a concerned mother but as an outsider. This strategy helped me to rein in my emotions and see my son with new eyes. I was once again able to see his good qualities. I managed to express my feelings and worries to him sincerely and without becoming anxious.”
And finally (sorry for the world’s longest comment), I want to thank you for reminding me that children want MEANINGFUL work and they want to be really useful. I put that suggestion to immediate use after listening to the podcast. I had been noticing that my 3-year-old son was more and more resistant to doing his job of sorting silverware into the drawer every day, and it had become a constant battle. It dawned on me as I listened that he was BORED with this job (which he had been doing for over a year). That day, I asked if he wanted to help me put away the actual dishes, since now he was a “big boy” who could be careful with the fragile plates. He was thrilled! He helped me empty the entire dishwasher into the cupboards and then gladly did the silverware as well. I will remember that parenting tip forever!
THANK YOU for the great, thought-povoking podcast! And sorry it took me so many months to comment!