Our middle daughter went to an amazing conference a few weeks ago and the take away hashtag was:
#BraveNotPerfect
I find that hashtag spot on for every single student. The conference was geared towards women developing their professional lives. That message however, I believe resonates for young women, men and all students. Our society today often seems bent on perfection. Whether we look for perfection out right or maybe imply it unintentionally with subliminal messages, I worry our kids are often feeling the pressure. As a principal, I empathized with families whose child was experiencing stress and/or anxiety. It was my experience that often kids can feel the pressure to succeed even when their families said very little about outcomes. For it is not only words, it can be the unspoken messaging and how we live day-to-day. Our kids interpret expectations from their families’ experiences. For example, a child may see that both his or her parents are successful professionals so that means they too will be expected to follow that benchmark. And today that pathway usually means close to “perfection” in academics, volunteer work, athletics and/or outside interests. I would rather our kids demonstrate courage and challenge themselves to discover their own full potential. If they are weighed down with the goal of “perfection” how will they sometimes fail and learn from their mistakes? Are we sending mixed messages as families and/or teachers? We are telling children and young adults that it is okay to make mistakes, and sometimes fail. While at the same time many higher education institutions have standards that border on only accepting only the exceptional. Which one is it? I vote for let’s make room for mistakes. Let’s create environments that allow for moments to fail so our children learn to cope and learn from what didn’t work. Let’s think about our non-verbal body language as we speak to children. Let’s be cognizant of our tone of voice. Please understand I too want our children to reach their full potential and discover their personal best. But maybe the “perfect” standard can be pushed to the corner and replaced with a brave and bold intellectual curiosity?
#BraveNotPerfect – my new favorite!
Have a great week at school and a Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Cheers
Laine