Learning IM is Like Learning to Read...Sorta :-)

byangelle

1.3K followers

14 years ago

Tonight I was working with my daughter trying to teach her how to sound out words. She's the type of kid who wants to get it right the first time and if she doesn't...it's a problem.

If it doesn't come easy to her, she is QUICK to get frustrated. Next thing you know, here come the "It's too hard!" and "I can't do it!"

I'm doing my best to be patient and remember that she's little, but honestly, my first impulse is to do a big eye roll.

Not because she didn't get it right off, but because that I can't and too hard stuff really makes me cringe.

So when my patience started to wear thin with the whining, I got her to get up, jump around and make silly faces to break the frustration. It worked. :-)

Then I explained to her that messing up is OK as long as you keep on trying.

No sooner did the words come out of my mouth that I heard my inner voice say that I need to take my own advice! :-)

Don't you love it when that happens?

If it was my husband telling me that about myself, then I might want to call him a smart azz. But I was kinda stuck this time cause I would have had to call myself a smart azz! :-)

I thought to myself, isn't that just how we are when we are new to this whole internet marketing thing? We are new and feeling our way around, trying our best to do things just right and not make a mistake. Cause we want to be Kyle and Carson right out of the starting gate.

Then when we do mess up or can't figures something out, we whine and throw up our hands, claim its all a scam anyway and wonder why we should even bother.

But the truth is, we have a whole lot to learn before we get there, just like my daughter has a lot of practicing to do before she can read on her own.

So, when you feel frustrated like my little one did tonight, just remember, it's OK to make mistakes as long as you keep on trying.

Side Note: This has nothing to do with this post but....once you try to teach a child how to read in the English language, you'll understand why many say it's the craziest and hardest language to learn. So many words don't sound the way they look. I was like, OK, sound it out....but this letter is silent and this one sounds like this other letter in this word. Geeezz!!

Anyway, just venting now. :-)

Take care,
Angelle