| I'll admit it: I've fallen victim to the online grading portal. It's so easy to click on it each day and then live by every grade that pops up. And trust me, there are a lot of grades. (Two tests tomorrow! Three homework assignments today! Let's see how he did on that packet of material from last week! Did he follow up with his PE teacher about finishing the homework that he needed to make up? I'll check online right now!) I've listened to experts extol the virtues of holding back. I know all about it. And yet, here I am, the On Parenting editor (I should know better!) stressing about the fact the grading period for my sixth-grader is almost up and he's got that one pesky grade he needs to pull up if he wants to — well, let me admit it: if *I* want to make sure he's on honor roll again. So yeah, I'm a parent struggling with myself. I want him to learn not just the skills his teachers are trying to teach him, but to be independent and responsible. Is that whirring I hear my own helicopter blades? (My guess is a couple of his teachers would be nodding a big yes to that.) So when I read Braden Bell's piece about overparenting, I nodded, too. He's a teacher and a parent, so he has some great insight about this whole overparenting thing, and ways teachers can help parents back off. Another piece that pairs nicely with Bell's is the one by Elliott Haspel about what us parents actually need to do for our kids. The answer is easy, and you might actually like it. So my goal for today is to park the helicopter, not click the login for the grading portal and let my kid learn how to figure this out for himself more. We know the downfall of being too much of a hovering parent. Now to learn how to live better in the midst of it. — Amy Joyce, On Parenting | 
Twitter
Facebook
