The problem with overzealous parents on the sidelines is that they want it more than their kids. It’s frustrating to watch your child not do the thing you know they can do. If only they tried a little harder — then we would feel a lot better.
Emotions, aye, who would have ’em!
Well, there is a solution to our emotions, and it’s practice design.
The Rule of Two Feet states that if you are neither contributing nor learning, go somewhere else. For a child standing around, struggling to get to grips with the task in front of them, this is a reasonable suggestion — and one that provides agency.
The second is the Can, Can, Can’t, Can framework, which in simple terms suggests starting with what you can do, not what you can’t. It’s simple, effective, and prevents children feeling stuck with the task in front of them.
Of course, the problem feels like overzealous parents — when it’s much more likely that agency, choice, and intentional design are lacking.
We could always blame emotions, though.