Parental involvement in education is invaluable.

It not only encourages positivity and good habits in children, but it also helps foster a growth mindset, by reinforcing core values such as determination, resilience and drive.

It is something that I constantly remind to parents of all our tutees, as the work our tutors do is only part of their children’s learning experience and mindset development.

It is a trifecta of parent, school and tutor.

A common cliché amongst (certain) parents is that they can dump their children at school, pay for the best private tutors and endless summer camps and courses in order to bypass their role in this ‘trifecta’.

However, this simply does not work!

The positive reinforcement of resilience must come from the top, which is always the parent.

If this doesn’t happen, it can actually lead to dysfunctional children and moreover, unhappiness!

What is ironic about a parent who attempts to bypass their role in their child’s mindset development, is that they will often claim to be too busy to help due to their busy work schedule and high-flying career; in which they will have developed and nurtured a growth mindset of their own!     

In Grolnick,Friendly and Dwellas’ article ‘Parenting and children’s motivation at school’ (found in Wentzel and Wigfield’s ‘Handbook of Motivation at School’), it is argued that the role of parenting practices in shaping children’s motivation and engagement in school is paramount to supporting the development of a growth mindset.

Similarly, in ‘Parental Involvement in Education: Evidence from the National Household Education Surveys Program of 2016’, it was shown that parental involvement in education, including various forms of engagement, had a positive impact on student outcomes.

Therefore, championing parental involvement in developing a child’s mindset is absolutely essential, and the importance of which should never be underemphasised!

Further Reading: How Parents can Instill a Growth Mindset at Home (Mindset Works)