Today, more than ever, kids are under immense pressure from teachers and parents alike to exceed at school in every subject.
With lengthy homework assignments ranging from pages of common core math problems to science fair projects to book reports on the classics, its surprising burnout isn’t ruining children by 4th grade.
Standardized testing and ANY testing that matter can often feel like walking the plank for an aspiring overachiever or parent-pleaser, and thus the mark of anything less than the esteemed and coveted ‘A,’ can be utterly scarring.
But thankfully, parents like Jenn Kish are shattering the status quo by putting grades in their place and telling the world what she’s really proud of when it comes to her son’s “accomplishments.”
After her 10-year-old got an 89 percent on his math test that he had tried SO hard at, Jenn could hardly bear the tears welling up in his eyes over a mere number that dared to mark him as insufficient.
As a child who would shake and cry uncontrollably over anything less than a 97 percent in elementary school, I deeply empathize with this boy’s pain of feeling like a total failure. But his mama’s bold move and words of wisdom following his pained reaction prove that our children are so much more than test scores and the boxes society tries to shove them in.
Rather, they are the sum of their character, integrity, passions, and love for Jesus and people.
Read Jenn’s viral Facebook post that is inspiring parents across the web to see grades differently below:
“I gave my 10-year-old a math test today. He spent nearly an hour and used four sheets of scratch paper. He worked each problem with intense concentration. And then with a deep breath he handed it to me to be graded.
I quickly worked my way through the test and calculated his score.
‘“It’s an 89’ I said, ‘that’s a high B.’Immediately his eyes filled with tears. He had done his best work, given his greatest effort and had still come up short.
I looked at my boy and back down at his paper.
And then I ripped it in half.
My boy is amazing in the kitchen. He can cook a meal for the entire family without breaking a sweat.
My boy is incredible at putting things together. He uses tools like a skilled craftsman.
My boy is a founding member of the mother/son debate team, (I just made that up) he can persuade me into doing things I never planned to do.
My boy is hilarious. He is always the first one to make a joke at the dinner table.
