Sunday, February 08, 2009

DON'T OVER-CORRECT

"The most difficult thing in the world is to know how to do a thing and to watch somebody else doing it wrong, without comment." - T. H. White


White's observation applies to parents and their children as well. It's important for parents to patiently allow their children to learn from experience, rather than stepping in to correct them at every moment. After all, one thorn of experience is worth an entire wilderness of warning. By over correcting our children, we undermine their confidence and diminish their initiative. Never do for your child what your child can do for themselves, even if they do it imperfectly at first.