by Miranda Pierson

Created on: July 06, 2010

It is necessary and important to treat all children equally regardless of ability. This is one of the most crucial components of parenting. As a parent, you may have an idealistic standard of how you want your child to be. You may set expectations for the child, and hope that someday the child will fulfill them. Every child is different, and sometimes, you may find that your child does not conform to some of your standards, both the unrealistic and the realistic. As horrible as it is to feel disappointment in your child's abilities, it does happen. Such feelings are very powerful and have the potential to interfere with the relationship that you have with your child. However, you cannot allow this to occur. Treating children equally regardless of ability also means treating the children with respect and not making them feel bad.

In order to treat children equally regardless of ability, try to focus on what the child does well, rather than that which the child has difficulty with. It can be difficult for the parent if the child is not proficient in a particular subject at school, especially one in which the parent is good at. The child may not care for this subject because he or she does not understand it. The proper way to contend with such a situation is to help the child with the subject, and to encourage the child, even if he or she is not in the honors class. Education has become such a complicated issue over the years. With the abundance of honors and advanced placement programs, children are under a significant amount of pressure to excel. As a parent, you may want your child to be in the honors class. However, if the child has trouble in that subject, the guidance counselor may place the child in the regular class. Even though this may upset you, you should not make the child feel bad. Being in the regular class will help the child to receive the help that he or she needs. You should encourage the child, regardless of the class that they are placed in. For example, if the child is placed in the regular biology class instead of the honors biology class, do not tell the child that they will never be able to have a career in science. Being placed in a regular class does not mean that the child does not have an equal opportunity to succeed. Also, if the child prefers a subject that is not part of your career choice, do not discourage the child. The child may not want to have the same career as you. Instead of criticizing the child for not being good at a

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