How Parenting Strategist Builds Self-Esteem and Character in the Car

Our parenting strategist uses the car to build self-esteem and character. No, her child isn't cleaning out the car. She's learning.

Marlaine Paulson Cover, is a Social Entrepreneur, Life Skills Educator, Parenting Strategist, Creator of the Life Skills Report Card, Admin for Parenting 2.0 groups on Linked In and Facebook.

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Marlaine (Paulson) Cover

"Children, like all beings, need to matter more than they need food and water and they literally glow when we value their intellect and show gratitude for their perspectives.

One of the best (accidental) things I ever did as a parent was to challenge my youngest daughter when she was a second grader to memorize the multiplication table during morning commutes.

Each day we had ten minutes alone together after dropping off her older sis to middle school and arriving at her elementary school.

There is a phrase "a cinch by an inch." Learning the multiplication table in small increments - when she didn't really "need" to - and making it our special daily game, resulted in her entering third grade a "Multiplication Master. (Except for the zeros because those I forgot.)

The appreciation for perseverance and confidence she developed becoming a Multiplication Master during these seemingly inconsequential morning moments benefited every aspect of her life, social relationships, and future endeavors.

Often parents think it is unimportant if a child does not feel highly competent in a particular subject, the irony is it is not the subject that matters - it is the child's self esteem. Which one of us would want to spend thirty hours a week feeling inferior among our peers?"

Marlaine's wisdom as a parenting strategist came through with her last two sentences. Sometimes people fear putting pressure on their kids to learn. Marlaine took the opposite approach and shows how kids feel inferior and lose self-esteem when they don't get some presssure to learn.

All she and her daughter needed were 10 minutes of daily commutes. And that made all the difference for her daughter's success, self-esteem, and character. 

You can contact Marlaine at:

Marlaine Cover MPA, MOM • http://biznik.com/members/marlaine-cover

What's Your Experience About Conversations with Kids in the Car? 

Please comment in the comment link below. Don't forget to add your email so I can separately email you 21 of the Best Parenting Tips Ever! from parents like yourself.

With warm wishes,

Jean Tracy, MSS 

http://www.KidsDiscuss.com

 

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Comments

[Jean Tracy, MSS]

Thanks for your comments, Vivian. I'm sending you 21 of the Best Parenting Tips Ever!

Warmly,

Jean

[Vivian Kirkfield]

Marlaine stresses the importance of a child's need to feel highly competent in order to feel good about himself. I so agree!
Mastering Tasks and Skills...I Can Do It!...is Chapter One in my book for parents and teachers, Show Me How! Build Your Child's Self-Esteem Through Reading, Crafting and Cooking. Children don't need empty praise...they need encouragement to fail as well as to succeed. Thanks for a wonderful post!