It is that time of the year again... the academic year I mean when the school reports are out! It is the time, when actually, my daughters more so than myself, want to see what their grades are, read their teachers’ comments and find out whether or not they have exceeded their target points. I say my daughters more so than myself, because to be honest I am more inclined to read the last page...the tutor’s comments well before I read the subjects’ results.
Don’t get me wrong, I am one extremely proud parent of what my girls are achieving at school and of course, I want to make sure they are on the right track academically. How they are progressing in maths, science, English and their other topics is very important, but truth be told I am more interested in how they are as human beings. Reading how my child is ‘a conscientious’ student or ‘works well within a group’ and ‘has a caring attitude towards others in class’ or ‘that their after school activities ensure they become well rounded young adults,’ is far more significant to me. Yes getting good grades is necessary but so is social intelligence – the ability to get along well with others and to get them to co-operate with you. Because of all the skills we encourage our children to develop people skills, may be the most essential for predicting a fulfilling, successful life.
Friendship, teamwork, kindness, generosity, acceptance, tolerance – these are the lessons to excel in. In a recent study on the health benefits of social relationships, researchers provided evidence that social ties and increased contact with family and friends were associated with a lower risk of death in young women with breast cancer. Another presented a similar conclusion with respect to surviving heart surgery. What’s more, a 2010 meta-analysis of 148 other studies showed that social connection doesn’t just help us survive health problems: the lack of it causes them.
I want my girls to study and work hard. And I have great faith that they will do well academically. But what I also care about is how they score with being true human beings! Their ability to spread kindness, friendship, goodness in today’s world and be charitable, understanding and unselfish human beings takes just as much work and effort and gets an A* in my books!
“Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive.” Dalai Lama