The Achievement Wall
by: Linette Paras

In the corporate world, we are familiar with the maxim: “Praise in public; criticize in private.” This ‘rule’ becomes even more relevant in the context of the home, where our children’s confidence and self-esteem are first nurtured.

I come from a large family, and there was a time when my dad, a hardworking government employee, was sending seven kids to school simultaneously. Mornings were chaotic and so was dinnertime, when we would each clamor for the chance to relate our day’s small successes. Now that I have five kids of my own and we don’t always get the chance to have dinner together, we make full use of what I call “The Achievement Wall,” where the kids and I put up veritably anything that’s a source of pride for us.

It started 2 years ago with congratulatory messages from me, after my three younger kids placed in the Top Ten of their respective classes – this, despite being new transferees. As a mom, I could only commiserate back then with their distress over leaving old friends and adjusting to a new system, but I had to do something to express my appreciation of their effort.

Bit by bit, The Wall spawned all sorts of stuff – from medals in academic achievement to their dad’s golf scorecard (which I was tempted to remove, but hey – dads need recognition, too). My son in sixth grade would post his nomination to Student Government, and my 8-year-old daughter would counter with a photo of her in a dance recital. There would always be some teasing, of course, and this is where parents come in – to keep the putdowns in check. After all, The Wall is meant to be a challenge, not a dissing arena.

My two older sons, who are under a special program for the arts in their high school, have photos of their paintings and creations in Ceramics class, and side by side with those are oil pastels from my youngest son. The certificates, photos, test papers and whatnots are constantly replaced to make room for new ones.

When I find the time to take a break from my work, I try to bond with each kid and use The Achievement Wall as a conversation starter. They’re eager to share the story behind what they posted on The Wall, and from there, I ask questions about their difficulties, their expectations, and even about their crushes in school.

I do all my work from home, and The Wall is just to the left of my workstation. Perhaps it’s meant to be there to remind me that all the work I’m doing is for my children, whose achievements – no matter how small – are my biggest rewards.

*Linette Paras is a freelance writer and editor. She has a degree in Microbiology, is a licensed professional teacher, and is currently working on her thesis towards an MA in Education. She authored an ebook entitled The Internet Freelancing Manual, which she hopes could help other parents successfully work from home and in the process spend more quality time with their kids.