'I guess things will change once I get used to elementary school?'
With the new semester just around the corner, now is the perfect time!

Lim Ga-eun, a current teacher who teaches ‘self-direction’ to elementary school children.
He has compiled all the self-directed learning solutions needed at every moment, from the time of entering elementary school to the period of adaptation, into one book, “Elementary Self-Directed Learning.”
This book contains 50 real-world concerns about "school life, attitude, learning, and habits" that the author has encountered in and out of school settings for 13 years, along with over 30 practical, immediately applicable appendices, allowing you to appropriately utilize the solutions your child needs.
Parents who read the clear and practical parenting book, "Elementary Self-Initiative," will definitely be able to awaken their children's latent self-initiative.

Have you heard of the term "peer efficacy"? It's not a word found in dictionaries, but I use it often.
'Self-efficacy' refers to the belief and expectation that one can solve problems by taking appropriate actions in any situation.
This is a positive belief about yourself.
Peer efficacy is the sense of efficacy gained from being among peers.
This means that positive feedback from peers leads to positive self-belief.
Where is the best place to gain peer efficacy? It's at a place where friends live together: a kindergarten, or a school.
I believe the reason children want to follow rules lies in their peer efficacy.
Peer recognition is as important to children as teacher recognition.
You've probably heard this from your child often.
“Mom, ○○ is really good at soccer.” “○○ is good at jumping rope.” “○○ is really good at drawing!” In this way, children look at each other at school and give each other honest evaluations.
But what if there's a child who just doesn't follow the rules? Not only will they be reprimanded by the teacher, but their friendships will suffer as well.
“○○ always wanders around during class.
○○ is always noisy and playful.” Children judge their peers more coldly than we think.
A child who is frequently criticized is more likely to be unwelcome among his peers.
Since the child does not have friends who view him positively, he ends up thinking that school is a boring place.

--- pp.22~23, from “Chapter 1, ‘The Child Who Doesn’t Follow the Rules’”

During break time, when everyone else was busy solving workbooks or chatting, why was that child reading a book? A few days later, I went to my friend and asked him directly.
“Why do you read books during your free time?” I asked, and the answer I got was, “Because it’s fun.”

After hearing my friend's answer, my belief that 'there are children who love books' became even stronger.
But as time passed and I became a mother, I realized that behind every child who loved books, there was a trace of someone who had made an effort to make them love books.
I realized that even my friend who still loves books might not have been a 'natural person'.
I wondered if there was any effort on the part of my parents that made me like books.
When I met that friend again, I asked him different questions than when I was in high school.

"What made the book so interesting back then? Did you have any positive experiences at home?"
I can't forget my friend's answer at that time.

“It was a cold winter, and my mom warmed up a book for me to read under the blanket.
To read when you're having a hard time during your break.
“Maybe that’s why I liked the book.”
It is often assumed that children who love books are born with it.
But if you look closely, there are many cases where the love of books is connected to warm memories.
What I've learned from meeting various children and from my friends' anecdotes is that any child has the potential to become a "natural reader."
--- p.176, from Chapter 3, “The Child Who Loves Books”

Let's look at three situations that often occur in real classrooms. Min-ki needs to apologize to Seung-woo, but he doesn't immediately admit it.
Rather, “Last time, Seungwoo hit me first.
“He pushed my shoulder yesterday,” he said.
Even though Min-gi is in a situation where he needs to apologize for what happened today, he is busy bringing up the past and only talking about himself.
When you feel like playing with a friend, instead of saying, "Let's play together," you may try to get your friend's attention by taking their stuff without permission.
If you ask why, they will answer, “I did it because I wanted to have fun.”
Even when I need something and want to borrow it from a friend, I don't ask, "Can I borrow some scissors?" and just use my friend's stuff.
Or, without specifying the object, say, “Can I borrow that?”
“Please lend me that.”
I assume the other person already knows what I need.
Don't dismiss simple things like expressing regret, expressing a desire to have fun, or asking to borrow something.
Because it's a situation that children face every day.
Why is it so difficult to speak well like this? As I mentioned earlier, it's because my own feelings are the focus, and the feelings of the other person are excluded.
This may be natural for children who are developing egocentrism.
That's why you need to practice more.
We need to understand from a young age that our emotions are important and that in order to communicate them effectively, we need to think about the other person.
Because words aren't just for me
--- p.198, from Chapter 3, “A Child Who Talks a Lot but Can’t Speak”

“Mom, why don’t you tell me I did a good job?”
When I talk to parents I meet at lectures or parent-teacher conferences, I get asked this question quite often.
I often praised my child for doing well, but he said he wanted to check every time to see if he did well.
At times like this, it can be confusing because it seems like the child is only doing certain things to get praise.
When a child expects praise for something he or she should do, the problem increases.
It's the same at school.
Children are greatly encouraged by their teachers' praise.
We often act in order to be praised.
(Omitted) Pride-centered praise often focuses on the child's accomplishments.
Praise for a child's specific results.
This may give children a sense of accomplishment, but they can easily become discouraged when circumstances change or they fail at something they thought they could do.
A child cannot always succeed.
There will certainly be many more moments when it won't work out.
Even something you were confident you would do well at may not turn out well, and a friend who was usually worse than you may improve their skills and get a higher score.
If the child's self-esteem is lowered and discouraged every time, it would be a big problem.
Self-esteem is the cushion that supports a child no matter where he or she falls, and self-respect is the staircase that allows a child to climb to the next level.
Therefore, in order for a child's behavior to change positively, we must foster 'self-esteem based on self-esteem.'
What kind of praise will boost a child's self-esteem?

--- pp.336~337, from Chapter 4, “Children Who Need Proper Praise”