Helping Kids Succeed – Alaskan Style!

Practical Suggestions for Building Assets in Your Child

Asset # 16- High Expectations

Traditional Ways to Promote Asset # 16 Definition: Parents, community members and teachers encourage youth to do well. Give the youth a goal and trust the youth to achieve it. If the child needs help, then help enough so he or she learns to help himself or herself. — Holy Cross Ask your children challenging questions, then listen to their answers. Take them seriously. Learn from them. — Ambler In the naming ceremony, you are given a verbal gift and a vision for your future. You are expected to live up to the qualities of the person you were named after. — Kluti-Kaah Give youth more rewards for what they do right than punishment for doing wrong. — Elim Teach sewing skills. If you don't do it right the first time, you rip out the stitches and try again. You need to practice. You have to start with the end in mind, or else you will not know what you are sewing. — Akiachak

To Build Asset # 16 Parents and Extended Family Can . . . Let your child know your expectations in concrete terms. Reward their achievements with concrete rewards. Example: have a skating party at Dimond Center when your child meets his or her goals for good grades. — Anchorage Expose children to the world, careers, colleges and courses. Create dreams. Talk about how dreams and opportunities relate to your expectations for their work ethic right now. — Craig Reinforce the notion that your children are both smart and hard working. Expect hard work, but not perfection. Notice their hard work when it is given. — Wrangell Talk about expectations in regular conversations with your children. Comment on different expectations others have, of themselves, your children, and others. Make it a natural thing to notice and comment on. — Wasilla Discuss your standards with your children's teachers and friends' parents. Encourage your child to challenge standards others might set for him or her. — Fairbanks Display your children's work in your home. Show your pride in their work done well. — Houston

Asset # 16 — High Expectations

Parents and teachers encourage kids to do well.

41% of youth surveyed by Search Institute have this asset in their lives.*

*Based on Search Institute surveys of almost 100,000 6th to 12th grade youth throughout the United States

What are Assets?

Assets are 40 key building blocks to help kids succeed. Like a dream catcher, assets are the supporting threads in a young person's life that can keep away harm and invite goodness.