A Heartfelt Message for Parents from Maya & Tom Frost:

 

Congratulations! You're here!

 

And you're about to find clarity, comfort and comic relief as you help your student get a great global education.

 

It's not easy raising kids these days, and most of the time, we worry that we're not doing enough, not helping enough. Wherever we turn, it seems like there's yet another thing to sign up for or one more way to increase our student's chances for success.

 

We want to be good parents, and so we do everything possible--to the point of exhausting and overextending ourselves--in order to give our kids a good shot at getting a great education and exposure to the great big world out there.

 

"Thank God I found you.  As you know, I was really concerned about my son. He's intelligent and very creative, but just wasn't that interested in what he was learning at school. I felt frustrated and was constantly trying to find things he would enjoy or that would challenge him. With your guidance, in the last two months, I've switched to side-by-side mentoring and watched him become a confident young man excited about his future!  I used to get one-word answers from him about his classes--now he can't wait to tell me what he's learning!  The difference is that now he's really excited about creating his own individualized education that really suits him. And thanks to your suggestions, he's found a mentor who really inspires him, has given him an internship and is even helping him apply for scholarships for college!  As a single mom, I can't thank you enough for this."

Leslie, mother of a high school junior

 

We're here to tell you that in most cases, you need to do less.

 

It's a bit of a Catch-22, really. Our hearts tell us to do everything we can to make life fun and easy for our kids, and our heads tell us to crack the whip and be relentless about getting them to study and work hard.

 

We need to do less of both. Really.

 

Because here's what you really need to know: it's not what we do for our kids that matters most--it's what we teach them.

 

And you might find it interesting that what we're told is best for them is actually a downright detrimental approach to helping them develop the skills and qualities they will need to thrive in the global economy.

 

Oh, it's not that we're not trying our best. After all, we're just doing what everyone else seems to be doing.

 

But see, that's the problem. Doing what everyone else is doing isn't working. It's not turning our kids into skilled, mature, enthusiastic, compassionate and clear-minded young adults who are ready to leap into the Real World, and it's definitely not helping our kids figure out what really excites them or inspiring them to dive into higher-level learning on their own terms.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you.  We KNEW there had to be a better way to help our daughter prepare for college!  We're surrounded by parents and students who are absolutely manic about testing, essays and coaching. Your approach is like a breath of fresh air.  Best of all, we are already seeing the difference in our daughter--she literally stands taller and smiles more brightly now that the weight of the perfect SAT score has been lifted.  She's excited about her new plans and getting clearer about what really interests HER rather than simply signing up for whatever her friends are doing.  Your approach is already working wonders."

Ted & Lisa, parents of a high school junior

 

The news stories and parenting books are telling us that our kids are actually far less prepared than students in many other countries in the world--and they're less likely to graduate from high school than students in ANY OTHER industrialized nation.  So we worry more, push harder, and do anything we can to make sure our kids are learning what we think they need to know.

 

What exactly is it that we're teaching them? Well, most parents of high school students in the United States are teaching their kids the following:

 

"You've got to study hard---even if you hate it---in order to get a good education and a good job."

 

"It doesn't matter if what you're learning isn't relevant---you just need to pass the test."

 

"You'd better not drop that sport/activity---it's crucial for those college applications and your chances for a good scholarship."

 

"Your junior year is all about the SAT/ACT, so you really need to buckle down and focus on those practice tests."

 

 "Your senior year will be spent writing college essays, and you've got to start thinking about how you're going to compete with those other students."

 

Here's an interesting thought: what if none of this is true?

 

What if your student could get a great education without hating it?

 

What if your daughter didn't spend years of her life memorizing irrelevant information and instead learned skills that ensure she will be competent and confident no matter what the future may bring?

 

What if your son dropped that dull sport/activity in favor of something that would catapult him forward with flaming enthusiasm?

 

What if your student never had to take the SAT or ACT?

 

What if your student's junior year in high school was spent on an exchange in another country that gave her a chance to become fluent in a foreign language and develop a deeper and broader perspective of the world and her role in it?

 

What if your student's senior year was spent taking college courses that got him fired up about a particular area of study?

 

These are some of the possibilities you'll learn about in Maya's book, The New Global Student. You'll discover that there are plenty of ways to get a fantastic education without following the prescribed path and that it's stunningly advantageous to do things differently.

 

"What a difference!  Our son was so burned out--at not even 17 years old--that we worried he wouldn't make it to graduation.  Well, thanks to your insight, we've watched him head in a positive new direction.  We've never seen him so excited about going to class!  And though his grades in high school weren't great, he's so happy to be taking college courses with more mature students that he's actually getting nearly all As this semester--and earning college credits, too!  We couldn't be happier with the Bold School approach."

John and Carla, parents of a junior in high school

 

The book is full of tips and stories that will inspire both you and your student to create a personalized palette of the best education options available.  We hope you will go ahead and order it here and we invite you to get some ideas and inspiration from the blog.

"I can't tell you how refreshing it is to deal with people who aren't out to grab a fistful of cash from my wallet.  Honestly, you have saved me over $20,000 as I was ready to bite the bullet and pay for an expensive study abroad program.  You've been extremely generous with your advice and such a pleasure to work with.  Thanks for being in my corner--it's so rare to feel that way as a parent paying for college!"

Steve, father of a sophomore in college                                            

 

Most of all, we want to thank you so much for recognizing the need to slow down and do things differently in order to really help your student rise above the test-prep mania and restricted learning environments. The world needs more parents like you!

The truth is that we all have good instincts--it's just that there's so much clutter that we can't see them clearly.  Once we wipe away the limiting ideas and learned helplessness, things look surprisingly bright and shiny!

We're here to help you buff things up. ;-)

 

"Just wanted to let you know that our daughter will be heading to France next month.  She decided that she wanted to graduate from high school early--she was so ready to move on.  So, she got it together and finished--much to the surprise of her peers and teachers--because she was so motivated to go abroad!  The next six months will give her a tremendous opportunity to become fluent in a language and understand more about herself and another culture.  Thanks so much for your help--your advice has already saved us about $8,000 on this trip alone, and made her college application process immeasurably easier. She's thrilled to be going abroad and earning college credit while her friends are still in high school."  

Bill and Brenda, parents of a high school junior

 

We love this wild adventure called parenting and we look forward to sharing our hard-earned wisdom and expert resources with you. All kids need their parents to show them how to handle challenges, but we need to focus on the right ones.  We truly believe that the more fun we all have along the way, the better the results will be for everyone.

 

Hugs and High Fives,

Maya & Tom

 

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