Forum: Show our children how to navigate challenges in life
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I refer to the Opinion piece “When 12-year-olds’ reflection in class revolves around PSLE” (Aug 18).
When children become adults, they don’t always remember all that was done to help them get through or excel in their PSLE. They remember, however, the warmth and affection they received from their parents, and whether or not they were loved and accepted for who they were.
Children do feel a great deal of pressure and fear to do well in their PSLE and these fears are very real, especially the fear of disappointing their parents. Children need to know and to be assured that their parents’ love is unconditional.
Growing up, most people were never taught to connect deeply with themselves or meet their own emotional needs. Today, there is a greater awareness of the importance of emotional health.
We must show our children how to navigate difficult and painful emotions and experiences, not just with the PSLE, but with life too. Without working on ourselves as individuals, we may continue to perpetuate a pattern of unhealthy and unrealistic expectations onto our children.
Teresa G. Hogan
