When parents stress education

August 5, 2013

Over the course of my internship at New York Cares, I've taken part in several corporate projects. As I mentioned in my previous post, these projects are funded by corporations who also send their volunteers to do something together to improve the community. A couple of my projects have been with children and I have recently seen the difference between certain neighborhoods and their view of education. Before I start, this is not meant to be all encompassing to certain groups of people (or even all the those in the agencies), because while I notice a trend, it is never absolute and there are always exceptions on all sides.

A couple weeks ago, I was on a project with an agency in Uptown/Midtown Manhattan. We were going to the Bronx Zoo with the corporate company. The adults in the agency asked some of the children why they were there that day as they should have been in summer school, catching up on work they fell behind in during the normal school year. Apparently, there are only 5 weeks for these students to make up for lost time during the year. Their parents let them attend the trip--completely understandable given the trip was free for the children (admission, all the extras, food, and transportation). This agency caters to those who are learning to living independently, where many families barely make ends meet. However, a few of the children still sounded like they were entitled to certain things (gift shop souvenirs, for example). I found it somewhat unsettling that the same children who should have been in class anyway were so particular about what they wanted. Of course, you could always say, "Well, they are children, what do you expect?" or "Well, they don't normally get special things, so it's okay." What I saw bothered me, but the situation could have been the way it was for a variety of reasons.

More recently, I was on a different project with an agency Downtown. This activity was much different as it focused on dreams and aspirations of the children, encouraging them to imagine where they will be in five, ten, and twenty years. Surprisingly, many of these children, most of whom were 7-9 years old, had very realistic goals. Of course some wanted to be famous singers or soccer players, but the majority of them pictured themselves going to college and becoming a professional, whether it be an economist, an engineer, or a doctor. They generally had the idea that if they work hard, they will be successful. After speaking with the agency contact, we learned that most of their parents are very involved in their academics and stressed the importance of studying and working hard to become successful later in their lives. None of these students had to be in summer school, yet it was summer and they followed a day structured similarly to one between September through June. Yes, I realize this is not the only way to become successful, but it is still the most practical way to become successful. For clarification, by successful I mean that they will be able to provide the basic necessities and maybe a bit more for themselves and their families.

I believe that parental attitude and influence make a huge impact in how children view success. Certain children can be more greatly influenced by teachers or other community leaders, but most are most affected by their family and how they act.  Of course, I know I'm biased because of my own experiences. I'm sure some of you can guess exactly which downtown area I am referring to and would think, "Well obviously they would study more," but it doesn't discount the effect of a parent's view toward education.