Learned Helplessness, What's THAT?

 

The need for virtual learning is a necessity of life, as we know it right now. The times you used to drop off your child to

practice being a UA student away from home is now not the norm. It is so difficult to watch your kiddo on a ZOOM call make a mistake you knew s/he could answer correctly without “helping” them. I want to introduce (or refresh for you) a concept called learned helplessness. I wish I had known this years ago when my three children were little.

 

  “Every single time you pick up a dirty sock, a used tissue, a crusty cereal bowl or a misplaced toy-every time you do this- you teach your child to believe in the “cleanup fairy.”

 

There is a story about a boy and ground beef that helps explain why NOT picking up that sock, used tissue or crusty cereal bowl is SO IMPORTANT. The story is an excerpt called ‘Hamburger, The importance of teaching our children to do for themselves. Hint: does your child know what hamburger is or how to find it in a store?

 Here is an article about What Learned Helplessness Looks Like in Children and another about why it happens. These may help you identify habits that need to be changed. So, you ask, what about that fine balance of encouraging freedom and giving too much freedom? That is exactly what this article will talk about, finding the best balance between the two.