The Need For Stellar GPAs Might Be A Thing Of The Past. All That Matters Is The Real Life Readiness Index.

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Do Stellar GPAs Matter In The Real World?

Present day society shows us that we’re raising our children to be over stressed and under confident adults. But, ask any parent, and they will tell you that the happiness of their child is their most prized possession.

In middle schools everywhere, kids are aiming for high grades even though they have no bearing on college applications – yet society, parents, teachers, counselors and children are acting like they do.

Are we raising adults who show great promise on paper with stellar GPAs yet crumble under pressure as just college freshmen? Or are we raising well rounded adults who can manage their emotions, build positive relationships and navigate social situations with ease both in career and real life?

And as adults, do we constantly regret bad grades in an AP course or not getting into the college of our choice? So, it’s important to ask ourselves, do all these labels and grades on us really matter to us as adults?

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What Can We Teach Our Children?

Children and teens often spend a lot of time comparing themselves to their peers. Acceptance by their friends is very important for them. Everything from test scores, clothes and gadgets determine their self-worth on a numerical system – on a scale of 0 to 10.

Abstract concepts like kindness, honesty and courage take a back seat because they are less concrete and more difficult to understand. Test scores can be measured and can be easily replicated, but not soft skills. We all have this score called the College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) but what about an index to measure life readiness?

So, it is upto us to help them understand these skills are the only ones that matter. No one will remember their test scores, but everyone will remember how they were treated by them.

Show them your love by encouraging them to fail at something new or use their inherent imagination at problem solving rather than to achieve an A+ inspite of an A.

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Two Keys To Student Success

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Our Children Are Not Just Their GPA:

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Hey mom and dad
If you want to let me grow, then you’ve got to let me go. Let me risk and fail. Let me feel a consequence. Let me question authority and seek answers. Let me test a boundary, run out of money, run out of gas, and lose a friend. Let me learn to understand how much sleep I need, and what to wear when it’s cold outside. Let me sort out a relationship and see what I love. This will not be easy, but it’s the only way I can grow.
~ Your teen

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About The Article Author:

Our mission with FutureSTRONG Academy – to grow children who respect themselves, their time and their capabilities in a world where distractions are just a click or a swipe away.

I see myself as an advocate for bringing social, emotional and character development to families, schools and communities. I never want to let this idea out of my sight – Our children are not just GPAs. I’m a Writer and a Certified Master Coach in NLP and CBT. Until 2017, I was also a Big Data Scientist. In December of 2044, I hope to win the Nobel. Namasté.

Write to me or call me. Tell me what support from me looks like.

Rachana Nadella-Somayajula,
Program Director & Essential Life Skills Coach for Kids and Busy Parents