Dear Friends,

Today, I wish to share with you a very popular concept in sociology "The Pygmalion Effect: The power of positive expectation" which is often cited with regard to education.

Day the child is born parents start making rosy images of him/her being a successful future generation bringing lots of hope and joy into the family. Parental expectations from children have a huge influence on how they perform. Positive expectations influence performance positively, and negative expectations influence performance negatively. Rosenthal and Jacobson originally described the phenomenon as the Pygmalion Effect (1968).

Now, the question is as a parent what kind of learning climate we are creating through our expectations. Our expectations from children fall into two different categories - expectations of good behavior and  expectations to demand children succeed in achieving different goals. Good behavior does not come with applying force or demands. On the other hand, setting expectations for all future accomplishments are far more serious and critical. Every child has his or her own dreams and ambitions that he or she wants to seek in life. However, they do not possess the ability to express their minds in a clear manner. This might lead to a gap in communication between children and their parents.

All children simply love their parents.Therefore, if we wish our children work towards our expectations first we should gain their confidence with love, care and communication.

When I go down the memory lane, I realize that my life is inundated with experiences which I could relate to the positive power of expectations. But somehow never knew that there is a defined theory by the name of Pygmalian effect.

I was born in a conservative joint family. My parents were very strict when I was young, specially my father. It was really difficult to satisfy him with my performances. Whenever I met a goal he used to raise the bar of his expectation further. But I had always observed him praising me and my sister for small things, we did well. My mother used to narrate stories of wisdom, courage, loyalty and power of faith and positive thinking during bedtime at night. Such experiences of childhood has provided me with invaluable treasures which even today help me realize my potential, give me courage to crack the barriers of conservative thoughts and boost me up while facing challenges in life.

We all know that development of any nation depends on the development of youth. Younger generation is more creative, energetic and innovative. Therefore, it is highly important for us as a parent, teacher or mentor to help, support, encourage, and inspire our young children in their personal growth and career development. Let the power of our positive expectations do the miracle to our children through Pygmalion Transformation.

Thanks.

Payel