I've been seeking ways to help motivate my son Joe to become more interested in playing his sax, so I called him downstairs to sit down to listen to this video of Japanese swing kids. While it played, his body posture indicated that he was listening intently, but I'm not sure how his nearly 13 year old brain was responding.I worry that Joe's nearly 13 year old brain interpreted my exposing him to a virtuoso performance as pressure. His prefrontal cortex has about another 13 years until it will be fully developed, so I take advantage of every opportunity I can to seed his hopes and dreams, but Joe stubbornly resists anything he interprets as criticism. Max Weissman had it right when he told me that being a parent is the most difficult job a person can do. 13 was a tough age for my father, a tough age for me, and becoming 13 has been a tough transition for Joe. Over the weekend, in between Joe's baseball game and birthday celebrations, I will be evaluating the interrelationship between genes (genotype and phenotype), the environment, and personality (phenotype), so I will be reflecting on family history and what I have personally experienced. Hopefully, these reflections will help me become a better parent and a teacher.
No comments:
Post a Comment
My goal is to engage in civil conversation.