Guiding or Controlling?

By Lorna Imperial Osoc

San Antonio National H/S

San Antonio, Milaor, Cam. Sur

Several studies have proven that parental involvement in education is critical to a child's successful academic development. According to Jane D. Hull " At the end of the day, the most overwhelming key to a child's success is the positive involvement of parents." Parents are undeniably vital in their child's academic success, but is this really a good thing?

Parent involvement in their child's progress in school is beneficial to both parties. Students who know that they are supported by their parents will be very motivated in learning their lessons and achieve awards to make their parents proud. Furthermore, monitoring their child's behavior and performance will lead to bet­ter atten­dance, behav­ior, get bet­ter grades, demon­strate better social skills, and adapt bet­ter to school. Being active in any school meeting and program, will enhance the parents' awareness. In doing so, they can help their children with their projects or lessons. They can teach them or find them a tutor in order to help them understand and cope up faster with their subjects. Moreover, with parents' involvement, they can help in suggesting or creating a program that is beneficial to their children, so that their children will have a fun, safe, and knowledgeable environment at school.

Aside from these benefits, it is not fully guaranteed that the effects will have positive outcomes. Since some parents tend to misunderstand the concept of the word "parent involvement", leading them to be controlling instead of guiding their children. Which they are referred to as the "controlling parents". Wherein they feel that they need tight control over their children in order to ensure that their children will surely have an achievement to fully secure their future. Pressuring and comparing their children to others is one of the examples they do. Therefore, these actions decrease a child’s intrinsic motivation, behavior, and their self-esteem.

Overall, parent involvement in school and to students has a big impact. With autonomous support by their parents, children will perform and feel better because they let their children initiate learning instead of pushing them to do so. Always remember that, parent involvement should value the quality of their children's education rather than the quantity of their achievements in school and are not controlling since the role of the parents is to guide and assist their children to become better versions of what they want to be.