Raise your hand if you were once a child dealing with a nagging mother?
I know I was! “Clean your room, finish your food, take out the trash, blah blah blah.” Sound familiar?
Growing up, I wasn’t allowed to do anything. Every time I wanted to go out with my friends, I had to ask permission. And usually my mother’s response was “NO.” I used to think “NO” was her favorite word. It wasn’t until I grew up though, that I started to see how lucky I was to have a mom like her.
According to a study conducted by the University of Essex, successful children are more likely to have nagging mothers. The study followed the lives of teenage girls around 13 and 14 years old. They directly related who a child becomes, to what kind of parents they have.
“The research said the effect of having parents who nag a girl to do well at school and go on to higher education is most marked among the least academically able teenagers,” according to an article published in Daily Mail. Basically, children need people around to push them to do better! Those people may be blood related, but they don’t necessarily have
to be. They can be a family friend, teacher, counselor, etc. The study is making the point that children just need someone around who believes in them.
I was fortunate enough to not only have a mother who pushed me, but an entire family. Unfortunately, not every child has that kind of support system. That needs to change!
My favorite part of this study was how the researchers “called on politicians and officials to try new ways to tackle it by increasing educational choices and expectations.” This is so incredibly important. Children who don’t have people around really need a program that empowers them to always strive to be their best.
Children need resources in order to know what they are capable of doing in this life. You would be surprised of how little knowledge some kids have about education and the importance of being educated. We want the world to thrive. We need to educate today’s children and show them their own potential.
