Are You a Cheerleader Parent?

Find out where your strengths lie. There are no right answers. Click on the ones that sound most like you.

Q. 1) Your daughter comes home from school with her latest work of art. It’s hideous – a big, smeary blob of poster paints. You:

a) Don’t care if it’s horrible. You’re proud of her anyway and tell her so.
b) Want to be nice, so you talk about something specific, “I like that orange bit.”
c) Ignore it and wait until she does something worth talking about. No one can stand big-headed children.
d) Don’t like the picture but there are plenty of good things to mention, “You carried it home without creasing it.”
e) Say nothing instead of telling her a lie. She’d know if you were faking.

Q. 2) You’re eating Sunday lunch and one of your children starts wriggling and rocking on his chair. You:

a) Ignore him if you possibly can, then thank him the minute he sits still.
b) Thank him for the one thing he’s doing right, like holding his knife and fork nicely.
c) Tell him off immediately and keep an eye on him throughout the meal so you can nip the slightest hint of bad behaviour in the bud.
d) Ignore his wriggling, even though he’s driving you crazy. You try to give lots of attention to his sister, who is sitting as good as gold.
e) Tell him firmly that if he rocks his chair again, he will have to go to another room, AND miss his pudding.

Return to the main Seven Parent Types page.