Not sure if you’ve ever heard of the so-called Chinese ‘F.’
It’s a different standard of excellence, that’s for sure.
Imagine a child coming home from school. He shows his parents his report card. His parents are horrified. They go ballistic.
Why? Because their child got an A- in a class.
That’s right. A+’s and A’s are acceptable – but not an A-.
Now, being my wife is Chinese, you may wonder if this is how we approach school with our children.
Both of my children are very good students. But it is not a requirement to live peacefully in our home. So long as they are doing their best – and they’re also balanced, i.e. participating in other activities and doing well – then we see no reason whatsoever to demand straight A’s – much less A+’s.
One thing is for certain: An A- (A minus) is A-okay in my book.
Parents who teach their children that getting straight A’s is the key to success in life are living in the dark ages. Or, to be more accurate, at least 50 years behind the times.
The other day my son came home from school and said, “John told me that unless you get a master’s degree in college you’re never going to make it in the business world.”
My son already smelled B.S. and wasn’t asking my opinion, but I gave it anyway.
“To quote Bill Gates in a boardroom meeting, dealing with recent MBA grads who think they’re smarter than all get-out: ‘That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard in my life.”
Oh, and by the way, BG didn’t graduate from college. Neither did Steve Jobs. And the list can go on and on and on.
I think parents would be a lot better off teaching their children about the truly important keys to success in this world. Sadly, the majority are not taught in our school system. You need to find a coach, mentor or parent who knows them and is willing to pass them on to you.
Perhaps the biggest KEY is physical fitness. Show me a straight A+ student who is overweight, and they’re rampant, and I’ll show you someone whose future is already going dim.
To succeed in life you need to be healthy. And the fatter you are at a young age, the harder life will be. So get your children fit. Get them involved in sports. Get them exercising. Limit their time before the tee-vee, the time they spend with their gadgets, the time they spend in the passive position.
Get them active and involved.
That’s A number one.
After that, teach your children the importance of attitude. Get them over the whining stage as fast as possible. Teach them to set and achieve goals. Show them how to visualize and create the life they want.
Be a model of an A+ Attitude – and showcase how attitude determines altitude.
Teach your child how to defend himself – verbally as well as physically.
Teach your child that book smart doesn’t mean a cotton picking thing in the real world. Teach him to learn as much as he can in school – but instill that the real lessons take place outside the classroom, rather than in it.
Above all, get your child around positive influencers. No matter what you do “right” for your child, if he’s around the go-nowhere crowd, this factor alone will drive him down.
Oh, by the way, the other day I sent you the following message which you may not have received. Make sure you pay special attention to the offer I make toward the end. It’s HUGE.
Matt Furey