Leota Douglas

Prof: Lago
ENG-1100
Revised
Main Goal of Parenting
Parenting is often discussed as a result of constant research and study to help guide the
process. Parental skills are derived from past experiences and research studies available to the
public. Its safe to say no two parents are alike, instead its an outline or a guide that is later
fused with information that is specific to the needs of each parent and child. The main goal of
parenting is to raise a child in a respectable and loving manner so the child will go out into the
world with the tools needed to become an upstanding citizen. Providing a quality life which will
extend to adulthood
There is no manual on how to be the perfect parent, the knowledge and experience is
continuously growing and at the end of it all parents want the best for their children. This
includes quality education, as children are not yet aware of the importance of a quality education
therefore its up to the parents to ensure the child is receiving nothing but the best. It is often said
by parents they want their children to experience more than what was available to them. This
kind of thinking Chua touches upon when she states majority of the Chinese mothers said that
they believe their children can be the best students, that academic achievement reflects
successful parenting.(262) By believing your child is capable of being the best will not only
provide a rewarding feeling for the parent but also the children.
Parents should also love and nurture the children, and be understanding. Just as parenting
is not a perfect science the same goes for being a child. Understanding that mistakes happen and
a child will not always be able to perform at the highest level. This is where the effective
parenting will come into play, the choice of showing compassion and support or belittling the
child. This is where Chua makes the comparison between the two parenting styles mentioned.
She goes on to say western parents will sit their child own and express disapproval, but they
will be careful not to make their child feel inadequate or insecure, and they will not call their
child stupid, worthless or a disgrace, (236) whereas some parents will take a different
approach as Chua mentions with her father referring to her as garbage when her performance
was not on his level. Being a loving and nurturing parent will enable the child to develop those
traits and apply it later in life.
My experience working with children, the ones that are disengaged during a lesson or
tend to act out have expressed to me that they do not receive help and support at home with
reading or home work from their parents. Some might not think about how their actions can
impact the behavior of their children. Growing up my parents were strict, mostly my mother who
ensured we were respectful to everyone, learned to value and appreciate life, at a young age we
taught education is the key to success. Even if we stumble in our life journey my parents were
always lending a helping hand. I can clearly remember my mother always saying your only job is
taking your education seriously and to bring home good grades.
Children are like sponges they soak up everything, especially at a young age. This is the
time teach the importance of interacting and communicating effectively with others. By
displaying the adequate tools children will learn how to adjust to situations. Allowing children to
engage in social contact with their peers and other individuals is also another way of learning. In
some cases its trial and error for children, if they react to something in a social setting and it is
frowned upon they will adjust and find other ways that work to handle society without feeling
overwhelmed or shutting down. Developing social qualities are important; Brooks explained this
in his response piece stating managing status rivalries, negotiating group dynamics,
understanding social norms, navigating the distinction between self and group- these and other
social tests impose cognitive demands that blow away any intense tutoring session or a class at
Yale.(269) There is a clear need for the development of social, parents should also focus on that
aspect of when raising a child.
Parenting is not a perfect science, sometimes failure can come during the process.
However that should not discourage anyone from completing the job you were assigned, Chua
says children dont choose their parents it is the goal of the parent to secure a bright and
quality life for the child. When we fail to correctly parent a child it then becomes an issue in
which the child is getting the shorter end of the stick and possibly setting the child up for a hard
future.

Work Cited
Behrens, Laurence, and Rosen J. Leonard. Writing and Reading across the Curriculum. Boston:
Pearson, 2013.