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“You Are Allowed to Make Mistakes”: Psychologist’s Message to Parents Before School Begins

From Adevărul · () Romanian

Translated from Romanian and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • Psychologist Mihai Copăceanu urges parents to consider whether children feel emotionally ready for the new school year, not only whether they have the necessary supplies.
  • He says children should know they may make mistakes, ask for help and return home with poor grades or failures without fearing rejection.
  • Copăceanu argues that confidence, resilience, relationships and kindness will matter beyond school marks.

The school bag may be packed and the alarm set, but psychologist Mihai Copăceanu asks parents to focus on a less visible question: is the child emotionally ready for the new school year?

For some children, returning to school brings the happiness of seeing classmates again. For others, it can bring fear, uncertainty or sadness. A child may worry about coping with the year ahead without saying so openly.

You do not have to prove anything to me. You are allowed to make mistakes. You are allowed not to know. You are allowed to ask for help. And if things become difficult, I am here.

· Mihai CopăceanuThe psychologist’s suggested message for parents to give children before the school year begins.

Before telling children to behave, pay attention or get good grades, Copăceanu advises parents to offer reassurance instead. “You do not have to prove anything to me. You are allowed to make mistakes. You are allowed not to know. You are allowed to ask for help. And if things become difficult, I am here,” he says.

School will have days with top marks, but also days with tears.

· Mihai CopăceanuHe says parents should prepare for both achievements and difficult moments during the school year.

He also warns parents to expect more than successful school days. “School will have days with top marks, but also days with tears,” Copăceanu says. Children will face achievements, mistakes and conflicts, and at times they will need encouragement rather than reprimands.

Home, he argues, should not become another place where children feel constantly assessed. “Do not turn the home into a second examination room,” he says. A child should be able to come home with a low grade, a failure or an admission of not succeeding without fearing rejection or disappointing their parents.

Do not turn the home into a second examination room.

· Mihai CopăceanuHis warning against making children feel permanently evaluated at home.

In the long term, Copăceanu says grades will not be the only measure that matters. Parents will also care whether children trust themselves, recover after failure, seek help, build relationships and grow into kind people. “Tomorrow is not the start of a race. It is another year of their childhood,” he says.

Tomorrow is not the start of a race. It is another year of their childhood.

· Mihai CopăceanuHis closing argument that childhood should not be reduced to academic performance.
About this summary

Originally published by Adevărul in Romanian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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