Message to Parents of Struggling Kids: Let Go

[Champ]

Children Do Best When Independent Problem Solving Is Encouraged

May 14, 2004 -- Want to help your struggling child perform better in school? New research shows that the best thing you can do is to back off.

The study shows that parents who scolded or punished their poor performing kids, or who intervened in a controlling way -- by, for example, demanding better grades or doing the work themselves -- only made matters worse. The children performed best when parents offered positive support, but did not intervene.

Researchers concluded that encouraging independent problem solving is one of the best ways to help a struggling child perform better.

"The parents of underachievers are naturally the ones who are most likely to express irritation or try to fix things in a controlling way," study author Eva Pomerantz, PhD, tells WebMD. "But it is especially important for these parents to find positive ways to address their children's behavior."

http://content.health.msn.com/content/article/87/99347.htm?GT1=3479