Balance is such a simple word for a VERY hard concept: helping a child be proud of their accomplishments while still teaching them that they are separate from their accomplishments. I see a lot of professor kids in my practice (usually both parents are PhDs or MDs), so the kids are quite bright AND have grown up in a culture where educational success is a life-source.
My goal is to help them continue to feel great about their successes (usually academic) but learn to maintain a stable sense of self when accomplishments fall short (usually in their eyes only). If they only rely on external validation of their self-worth, then they will inevitably feel like a failure (at one point or another).
Last edited by Evemomma; 10/22/12 08:01 AM.
