Couples Therapy in Edison

Resources for Parents With High Academic Expectations

Edison Township public schools consistently place in the 93rd to 96th percentile nationally for math and reading. We have some of the best academic schools, from J.P. Stevens High School to the Edison Academy Magnet School. Parents face a unique stress when trying to parent academically gifted children. How hard should they push and when? The line between helping your child realize the best version of themselves and pushing them too hard is thin, but parenting therapy in Edison can help.

Therapy for Parents Managing High Academic Expectations For Their Children

Our Edison parenting therapists are in-network with most major insurance companies and have availability as soon as tomorrow. Set both you and your child up for success with parenting therapy in Edison.

What Is “Tiger” Parenting?

Tiger parenting is a term popularized by Amy Chua in her book “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother”. It describes a strict parenting style that has high academic expectations for their children. Often, a tiger parent may control a child’s schedule, push them to study more, and expect success in school and career. Although this type of authoritarian parenting style can lead to academic success, studies have shown that it also leads to depression, anxiety, loneliness, and general bad mental health for adult children. So… should you stop pushing your child to succeed academically? Not at all. Setting them up for success is a part of your job, but how you go about it can mean a big difference in their mental health. Parenting therapy in Edison can help you refine tiger parenting techniques so that you can still help your child achieve academically without sacrificing your relationship with them, their mental health, or the love between you.

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How Does Tiger Parenting Affect a Child's Long-Term Emotional Health?

Although tiger parenting can get academic results, it sacrifices the relationship between you and your child and your child’s mental health.

Anxiety
Depression
Low self-esteem
Difficulty with decision-making
Interpersonal difficulties
Self harm
Suicidal thoughts
Issues with self-discipline

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How to Parent an Academically Gifted Child

Wanting your child to get into Princeton is understandable. Let’s find a way to make it happen while preserving your and your child’s mental health.

Not every failure is a personal one. External factors that you may not know about could plague your child. Disciplining them for a failure that is not their fault won’t help them perform better; it’ll just teach them fear. We’re not suggesting you accept a failing grade as it is, but we encourage you to understand what led to that failure. How can you support them in their battles?

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Every child is different, and so, every child will need a slightly different parenting approach. Understanding your child’s hopes, goals, strengths, and weaknesses will help you support them in a way that matters and is beneficial for their long-term development. For example, knowing what classes your child enjoys and which ones they don’t will help you provide meaningful support in the areas they may struggle with more acutely.

Talking to a teenager can be difficult, much less trying to connect with them at their level. If you need help forging a connection with your child, talk to a parenting counselor in Edison.

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Extrinsic motivation is the kind of motivation most tiger parents use. Children are motivated to perform academically, but usually out of fear of repercussions. Instead, teach your child how to have intrinsic motivation, the kind that they find for themselves. This might look like helping them make their own goals, understand why they want something, and working on good distress tolerance and goal setting. If you want to learn more about intrinsic motivation and how to cultivate it in your child, consider parenting therapy in Edison.

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Positive reinforcement (rewarding good behavior) can be just as powerful as punishment (punishing unwanted behavior). Praising your child for good grades, high effort, and academic success will help them want to succeed in school and in their careers after high school. This doesn’t mean you have to let them slack off or give up at school. Instead, praise their wins more than you punish their losses. It will help them grow into a healthier, more successful adult in the long run.

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Therapy for Parenting Challenges in Edison - So You Can Both Thrive

Parenting therapy isn’t here to tell you that you’re doing everything wrong. Instead, our parenting therapists will help you understand your child and develop goals that you are both excited to work for. Then, we’ll help you achieve those goals. Academic success is a great goal for your child to have, and parenting therapy in Edison can help you learn how to support and encourage them in a way that fosters growth, health, and your parent-child relationship.

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