100 TSP Breaking Up the Relationship

There may come a time to break up the teacher-parent-student relationship. What is the best way to handle this situation?

This episode shares some personal stories of some studio breakups — sad, angry, puzzling, happy, and memorable. The episode sets out some criteria to consider to lift the breakup to a pleasant place that will induce warm memories and acknowledge the positive history in the past.

Please consider sharing some of your personal stories in the comments below, whether you are a parent or a teacher. If you have specific advice to share with others about this process, please leave a comment below.

Continue reading “100 TSP Breaking Up the Relationship”

Reflections — Let’s Blame Ourselves

Today’s reflection suggests that parents would solve more problems if they were to blame themselves for the abilities that their children have developed.
Continue reading “Reflections — Let’s Blame Ourselves”

099 TSP Teach Them to Think | Avoid Overparenting (part 4)

This episode is the fourth and last episode in a series that discusses the book How to Raise an Adult (Break Free of the Overparenting Trap and Prepare Your Kid for Success) by Julie Lythcott-Haims, an award-winning former dean of freshmen and undergraduate advising at Stanford University.

Today’s episode discusses ways in which parents can teach their children the skill of critical thinking and ways in which parents may undermine their children’s ability to think for themselves. Continue reading “099 TSP Teach Them to Think | Avoid Overparenting (part 4)”

Reflections — 4 Steps to Independence (R007)

Today’s reflection lists the four steps a parent can follow to guide a child to independence.
Continue reading “Reflections — 4 Steps to Independence (R007)”

098 TSP Life Skills for Children | Avoid Overparenting (part 3)

This episode is the third in a series of episodes that discuss the book How to Raise an Adult (Break Free of the Overparenting Trap and Prepare Your Kid for Success) by Julie Lythcott-Haims, an award-winning former dean of freshmen and undergraduate advising at Stanford University.

Today’s discussion focuses on the possibility that parents may be viewing their children’s accomplishments as a reflection of the parent. Parents may do things for their children because parents want things to be “good and comfortable.” Unfortunately, as Ms. Lythcott-Haims says, “[t]hat isn’t the reality of the world we’re preparing them for.”

The remainder of the episode is devoted to a list of various life skills that are appropriate for parents to teach children in various age groups. I finish the discussion with a list of life skills that I think are extremely important for young adults (i.e., college freshmen or high school graduates) to know and be able to take care of alone in order to succeed in the next stage of life.

I mentioned a few resources in the podcast episode. Here are links to those items.

This is the book I referred to in the podcast.

Please note that the link to this book is an affiliate link. There is no additional cost to you, but if you use the link provided, you will provide a small benefit to help the production of the Teach Suzuki Podcast and blog.

If you missed the first two episodes in this series about overparenting, here are the links:

Part 1: How to Raise an Adult

Part 2: What is Our Message? | How to Raise an Adult

If you have questions or answers or you would like to comment or leave me a voice mail, you can do so at (512) 537-6356. If you would like to send me an email, you may do so at paula@teachsuzuki.com. I welcome comments and questions about this episode and am interested in hearing about the perspective of other parents and teachers.

You may find more information and useful articles on my blog at: Teach Suzuki Blog.

Until next time,

Happy Practicing!

—– Paula —–

© 2018 by Paula E. Bird

Join the Teach Suzuki Community!

If you would like to make a donation to support the Teach Suzuki Podcast and the blog, click here to donate.

 

Reflections — How to Cause Psychological Harm (R006)

Today’s reflection lists three ways that parents can cause their children psychological harm without being aware of it.  Continue reading “Reflections — How to Cause Psychological Harm (R006)”

097 TSP What is Our Message? | How to Raise an Adult (part 2)

This episode is the second in a series of episodes that will discuss the book How to Raise an Adult (Break Free of the Overparenting Trap and Prepare Your Kid for Success) by Julie Lythcott-Haims, an award-winning former dean of freshmen and undergraduate advising at Stanford University.

Today’s discussion brings up topics such as safety issues (bike helmets, seatbelts, prenatal care), hyperawareness and concern by neighbors and communities about stranger danger and the possibility of child abduction, the “self-esteem” movement (“a trophy for everyone who shows up!”), and the desire to shield children from hurt feelings and unpleasant interactions with other children.

The question that I want us all to ask is whether we are sending a message to our children and students that will encourage them to develop life skills that will serve them well as they enter the adult world, or are we treating our children like helpless victims who are incapable of learning how to perform these skills themselves.

I mentioned a few resources in the podcast episode. Here are links to those items.

This is the book I referred to in the podcast.

I also mentioned Stephen Covey’s book, because he relates a personal story about his son and how Dr. Covey and his wife reevaluated their parenting style in order to stop treating their son as a “victim” who was incapable of success without his parents’ help. I found the story to be a powerful account that related to the message issue I discussed in today’s podcast episode:

Please note that the links to these books are affiliate links. There is no additional cost to you, but if you use the links provided, you will be providing a small benefit to help the production of the Teach Suzuki Podcast and blog.

If you have questions or answers or you would like to comment or leave me a voice mail, you can do so at (512) 537-6356. If you would like to send me an email, you may do so at paula@teachsuzuki.com. I welcome comments and questions about this episode and am interested in hearing about the perspective of other parents and teachers.

You may find more information and useful articles on my blog at: Teach Suzuki Blog.

Until next time,

Happy Practicing!

—– Paula —–

© 2018 by Paula E. Bird

Join the Teach Suzuki Community!

If you would like to make a donation to support the Teach Suzuki Podcast and the blog, click here to donate.

 

Reflections — The Voice of What’s Possible (R005)

Today’s reflections asks the hard question of whether we teachers are willing to embrace the courage necessary to be the voice of what’s possible, or are we willing to settle for asking for a small thing that everyone will say “yes” to?

If you have a comment or suggestion, you can leave me a voice message on my voicemail line at 512-537-6356 or send me an email at paula@teachsuzuki.com.

For more information and articles, visit my blog at:

http://teachsuzuki.blogspot.com.

Until next time,

Happy Practicing!

—– Paula —–

 

096 How to Raise an Adult | Avoid Overparenting

This episode is the first in a series of episodes that will discuss the book How to Raise an Adult (Break Free of the Overparenting Trap and Prepare Your Kid for Success) by Julie Lythcott-Haims, an award-winning former dean of freshmen and undergraduate advising at Stanford University.

I have observed student and parent behaviors change over the past decade and longer, and this book helped me to understand what I observed in a different light. I will share the points made in the book as well as relate it to the Suzuki music lesson situation in the music studio.

I mentioned a few resources in the podcast episode. Here are links to those items.

This is the book I referred to in the podcast.

I also mentioned a blog article and a podcast episode that relate to this current podcast episode:

Life Lessons From the Chicken Coop (blog article)

What Kind of Parent Are You? (discussion about parenting styles) (podcast)

Please note that the link to the book is an affiliate link, which means that there is no additional cost to you, but if you use the link provided, you will be providing a small benefit to help the production of the Teach Suzuki Podcast and blog.

If you have questions or answers or you would like to comment or leave me a voice mail, you can do so at (512) 537-6356. If you would like to send me an email, you may do so at paula@teachsuzuki.com. I welcome comments and questions about this episode and am interested in hearing about the perspective of other parents and teachers.

You may find more information and useful articles on my blog at: Teach Suzuki Blog.

Until next time,

Happy Practicing!

—– Paula —–

© 2018 by Paula E. Bird

Join the Teach Suzuki Community!

If you would like to make a donation to support the Teach Suzuki Podcast and the blog, click here to donate.