Connectedness, or the lack of it, between families, between children and adults, and between families or individuals and the community are recognized as playing an important role in parent education. Most parents believe that it is important for their child to learn writing and math, and they see that this gets done by teaching them, often using repetition for learning. Unfortunately, many parents do not realize that life skills must be taught and repeated in the same manner. Ms. Petersen called for parents to strive for balance between academic endeavors and emotional aspects of child-raising. Many children do not seem to be learning appropriate life skills, on top of which they do not feel particularly safe in their schools.
Studies show that thousands of children stay away from school because of fear.
Petersen encouraged adults to model the behavior they desire from children. Parents can give children increasingly greater responsibility, coupled with guidance, to help them form a foundation for making appropriate choices in adolescence and later life. In addition, parents can teach children that conflict is all right, violence is NOT, and there is a difference. This means that school policies about violence should be clearly stated, including expectations and consequences if the standards are violated. Avoid didactic teaching.