Why Parents Must Question 4.0 GPAs and Undefeated Records
To the untrained eye, an A is an A, and a win is a win. For most parents, when their child has a 4.0 GPA or an undefeated record in a sport, it’s time to pop champagne. While in some cases this is a fair response to a perfect outcome, I suggest that before the celebration commences, question the process.
Correspondingly, the first question parents must ask is whether the process was challenging enough for their child. A 4.0 GPA in classes with low expectations and a subpar curriculum is not worth celebrating. Neither is an undefeated record against easy competition. Unquestionably, the process matters.
The process is how one gets better. There is no path to getting better if a child doesn’t identify and fix bad study/practice habits and bad test taking/performance habits. Moreover, a child will never expose their bad habits when facing subpar challenges.
Therefore, achieving a 4.0 GPA or an undefeated sports record is counterproductive when a student or athlete thinks they are so good that they know everything and don’t need to improve study/practice habits and test taking/performance habits. It’s in these cases where parents must move their child into a situation in which the process is far more challenging.
Simply stated, it should be rare when a child experiences perfection for an entire school year or season. The risk of success becoming the enemy is just too high. So, if this is happening year after year, season after season during a child’s youth, parents would be wise to raise their red flags instead of their champagne glasses.