Application of Seligman's Theory

Parenting and Learned Helplessness

Martin Seligman's theory has proven to be of very importance when raising a child. Unless you want your son to become like this dude down here...

Sometimes parents think they are doing the correct thing when raising their child, but actually instead of teaching important values such as responsibility, they are doing quite the opposite.

This itself might be due to lack of knowledge of Learned Helplessness. Children are very subjective to everything, even though it might show, children are hugely impacted subconsciously, take for example children who see one of their parents cheat, this affects the child in such a way that studies have demonstrated that they are twice as likely to cheat on their spouses when they grow up and get married. Children need to learn to be independent and mature, so they can grow up to be capapable and sucesful human beings!

The following examples are from "The Language of Learned Helplessness Quiz", which helps parents realize if they are imposing Learned Helplessness on their children. Each of the following are pointers for parents not to do, in order to avoid Learned Helplessness.

• Teach your children to ask for help or do things for themselves. Do not assume they need help, unless they ask for it.
• If you see your child struggling, do not "handle" whatever they are doing. They must learn through experience, even though it might get messy.
• Do not do things for your children such as picking up after them, this will only make a job for you.
• Never say "Let me fix that for you", as stated before let them come to you! Children need to learn to do things for themselves, you wont be there forever.

All of these are very important in parenting, and are being applied around the world thanks to Seligman's Theory...the world needs more competent beings, specially now a days when life keeps getting harder and harder through out the years.