Why Simply Smart Has Parenting Blogs

This blog post was written jointly by mother and daughter

Perhaps you are confused why there is a parenting section on a website dedicated to education. What does parenting have to do with turning your home into a fun center of learning? The answer is lots!

I can still remember as a child being so frustrated about school that I threw my math book across the room. I hated math! (These and other experiences led us to develop a new math curriculum, but that is a blog for a different day). All learning at this point had come to a halt. My mother could have responded by getting mad and yelling at me for throwing an expensive book, but she did not. Those pivotal moments when children become mad, frustrated or unresponsive may not be the time when formal schooling will happen, but they are the exact moments when a whole lot of other teaching can and needs to go on. That is where good parenting comes in. Unless relationships are functioning well in the home, it is difficult for any meaningful learning to occur.

Having good curriculum resources and teaching skills for things like math, reading and science are useful, but they do not hold a candle to the importance of teaching the truly critical skills that serve as a foundation for everything a child will do in their life, including academic learning. Regardless of whether you are the one teaching your child math or not, you, the parent, are primarily responsible for teaching what really counts. Skills that really matter include learning to manage emotions & impulses, persevering through things that are difficult, learning to communicate with others, increasing self-motivation, problem solving, and the list goes on and on.    

Difficulties arise in the home for virtually everyone. When things start running amuck, it is the parent who needs to up their game if learning is to continue. Being able to problem-solve difficult situations, improve parenting skills and then teach the things you have learned, or are learning, to your children is at the heart of good teaching. That can be really daunting as a parent though.

These parenting blogs share stories and experiences that illustrate how other parents problem solved difficult situations. They share principles from therapists that have helped families. Every home is different and you are the best person to receive inspiration about how to solve the problems you face, no one else can tell you that. We hope though that these parenting blogs provide some that are struggling with inspiration and hope. Being a parent is hard, but no other teaching in the world compares with its importance.