What sort of behaviour should I look out for?
There’s a certain sort of kid, warns O’Malley, who goes to school with a supercilious presumption that they’re better than the others. Make sure your child isn’t that child: the idea that your offspring is inherently smarter, better looking and more skilled across the board, is, in fact, a facet of your own dark side – and transmitting it to your child will lead to big problems.
Wait, what? But what if they are? What if they shine amongst dullards (yes, I know parents always think that, but sometimes it must actually be true)..?
The much better approach is to think from the point of view of other children, and to encourage your child to do likewise. “When asking your child about their day, don’t just ask about lessons and what they had for lunch,” says O’Malley. “Ask them, did everyone have a friend at playtime today? And if they say someone was left out, ask them did they give that person a smile, or go to ask whether they wanted to play?”
Thus making them the prey of the vicious and manipulative. Like...the future offspring of 'Guardian' columnists, perchance?
It explains a lot though, if that's what passes for parenting in Groanland.
ReplyDeleteI think the reality is even worse than we could imagine...
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