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From Ordinary to Extraordinary: Lesson #3

actonacademy November 11, 2017 Uncategorized

Lesson #3:  Heroic parents respond with gratitude when their children are held accountable for their choices.

It’s not that they are happy about it. It’s that they know their children will be better off in the long run if they learn to deal with mistakes, problems and failures now when the stakes are relatively low.

In contrast, ordinary parents blame the school (or whatever/whomever) and aim to lessen the consequences their child would otherwise experience.

One of my favorite examples of this kind of extraordinary/heroic parenting came from an Acton dad recently. When we informed him that his son had cheated on tracking his points for his work, his response was brilliant.  He said, “Good. Better to learn the consequences of lying now than later on his tax returns.”

Call to action: The next time your child comes home with a strike, honor code violation or low 360 score (Acton’s accountability processes,) take a deep breath and say to yourself, “Good. This is exactly what I was waiting for. An excellent learning moment.”

 

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About Author

actonacademy

Laura co-founded Acton Academy in 2009 with her husband, Jeff. They have 3 children and live in Austin, TX. Laura graduated cum laude from Vanderbilt University and received her M.Ed. from Peabody College. Her professional life includes work in the fields of aviation insurance brokerage and non-profit management in arts education.

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