Family Life for your Viewing Pleasure

I chose the animated TV series, Hercules. For the purpose of this assignment, I am focusing only on his parents Zeus and Hera on Mount Olympus whose parenting style would best be described as Permissive Parents. They are very affectionate and encouraging to their son, however offer little to no assistance in his life, as he must face the trials of life on his own so that he can become a hero in order to achieve his place with them on Mount Olympus. Hercules is often called "Wonder-Boy" in the series and movie of the same name. This encompasses his personality quite nicely as he has a very positive attitude towards life despite the many setbacks and challenges he has had to face unjustly. He makes the same mistakes most teenagers make such as forgetting to think about a girls personality along with her looks when seeking a date for a dance as well as fighting with his best friend Pegasus. He always learns a valuable lesson which he holds onto well into his adult life and doesn't take a single day for granted.

Answer to question 1: Hercules admittedly faces many more odd challenges than the average teenager, such as fighting monsters and rescuing people from floods and earthquakes. However, he also faces the same challenges and makes the same mistakes most teenagers make, such as forgetting to think about a girls personality along with her looks when seeking a date for a dance as well as fighting with his best friend Pegasus. Whether fighting monsters or apologizing to friends he always learns a valuable lesson and doesn't let a single moment go to waste in his quest to becoming a hero.

Answer to question 2: Hercules' parents face similar issues to the average parent, with godly differences. Their child is stolen away from them, and while they know where he is, they cannot retrieve him since his godhood has been nearly drained away. This has happened many times in many variations to every day parents. It is never easy to lose a child and Zeus and Hera do their best to be there for their child in spite of not being able to bring him back home. They try to look at the positive parts of life and this view of life greatly inspires their son Hercules.

Answer to question 3: Hercules is a spitting image of Zeus and Hera's parenting. They have taught him to look at the positives in life and to work hard at everything you do and to never give up on ones dreams. They listen to him and care for him even though they can't always be with him. This has caused him to grow into a helpful and caring teenager who is always willing to help his classmates, even the ones who constantly tease and torment him. He works and goes to school and while things don't always go smoothly for him, he always does his best and tries to fix any damage he might have caused along the way. Hercules the show as well as the movie are great images of an extended and blended family structures and serve as examples to what all of us can be in our own families.

Efficacy in the Zone

When a child is in the zone of proximal development they are, for their age range, primed for learning. Given proper guidance and attention their is almost no limit to what a child at any age can achieve. Children at young ages can learn multiple languages that can benefit them their entire lives. Middle aged children can jump grades and enter high school and even college at earlier ages, allowing them to start working early and even retire earlier in life. High schoolers can attend college at the same time they finish out high school and achieve a similar jump in life. The only thing that limits ZPD students are their own fears and our own limitations.

Emotional Baggage?

Teenage bodies are bereft with emotions and their bodies are enduring intense changes that most definitely have an effect on their learning and interactions with peers and faculty. It can be hard to concentrate on homework or even in class if your body is uncomfortable or your mind wanders to what Timmy thinks of your new haircut. Just the same if a student gets a bad grade, they are much more likely to be emotionally devastated and give up on the subject at an adolescent age as compared with young children and adult learners. Interactions with ones peers and faculty are also subject to the intense emotional baggage every teenager carries. There are many fights both physical and emotional that happen during adolescence that can dampen a students ability to do well in their studies. Also, if a student doesn't like a  teacher or a teacher is mean to them or strict the student is liable to tune out the professor in future lessons.