Great Advice For Parents

Reading this interesting Freakonomics article about "the science of genius", I really loved the concluding Q&A:

"Q: What does this new understanding of genetics and intelligence mean for parenting? What can parents do to help their kids achieve greatness?

A: In this limited space, let me just stick to one point, which is that parents need to model a life of delayed gratification and persistence if they want their kids to embrace those values themselves. Show your kids how hard you work, how often you experience disappointments and how you respond to those disappointments. If you blame others for your failures or simply give up, that’s what your kids will learn. If you take on a long-term challenge, show a deep commitment to the process and a refusal to give up in the face of adversity, your kids will pick that up instead."

I wish all parents could read this advice and take it to heart. I've run into some parents, while tutoring, who want quick fixes for their kids' lack of basic Math understanding, or who've taught their children the instant gratification game by living that way themselves. While some students are naturally good at Math, there's no solution quite as effective for the rest of them as simple hard work: do the homework exercises, ask questions about whatever you don't understand, and look for connections between the various bits of info that you're encountering. My tutoring students who are willing to put the effort in always improve their Math skills; the ones who don't usually continue to struggle.