As a parent, it is hard not to be involved in our children’s education, especially since we are well aware of how essential it is for their future. In fact, from our perspective; it seems unrealistic that our children would put things such as electronics or friends before their school work.
However, the reality is that most children are motivated to learn and succeed, but like many other responsibilities, it can get quite challenging and stressful, which is why our support is crucial. So how can you support your child and make their learning easier?
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Herein are seven ways you can make your child’s education simpler:
In essence, this is perhaps your most vital parenting tool, as it enables you to help your kids. Punishing, threatening, or even manipulation will only negatively affect your relationship with them, not to mention their learning motivation.
While your feelings of frustration, fear, and anxiety are understandable and normal, reacting to your children due to these feelings will hamper your efforts. Remember that if your kids are struggling in their education, the last thing they need is their source of support, adding to their burden.
Your role is to assist them in learning the art of responsibility. So when you get cynical and turn this into a moral issue, your kid may get defiant, subsequently reacting to you rather than thinking through things herself/himself.
2. Prepare your kid to Learn
As a parent, creating a routine will effectively assist your child in tackling both morning and evening duties. Additionally, ensure that you include breakfast time and pack them a nutritious lunch. Usually, kids who get a hearty breakfast are known to not only do better in school but also focus rather more quickly.
What’s more, you can also include time for homework in your evening program, set a daily routine where you check your kid’s work, not to mention helping them pack their materials for the next day.
Preparation is essential to your child’s success in their education, and more so in the early school years.
3. Help your child prepare for tests.
Exams play a very crucial role in determining the grade of a student. Your kid might also take several standardized exams during their school year, and your child’s class teacher may spend a substantial amount of time on exam preparation throughout the year. Nonetheless, as a parent, you can support your kid in various ways both before as well as after taking a regular exam.
Moreover, there are also several ways through which you can support the learning habits of your kids consistently, which will aid them to get more prepared for exams. As a first, you can teach your child how to break down various assignments and tasks into relatively smaller, more manageable chunks, ensuring test preparation isn’t overwhelming.
For older kids, you can suggest various online tools such as online essay writing services where they can not only get tips on how to prepare for exams, but they can also get a plagiarism checker free to help them learn how to write unique content for their school projects.
Moreover, you can also introduce your kid to mnemonic tactics to assist them with recalling what they learn. Finally, remember to incorporate breaks in between study periods, as this is essential in helping your children in processing and remembering what they learn.
4. Display a positive attitude about education.
What we do and say in our daily lives can help our kids develop a positive attitude towards learning and school, as well as in building their confidence as learners. Demonstrating to them that we not only value education but also utilize it in our lives, offering them powerful models, not to mention contributing significantly to their overall education/school success.
Furthermore, by showing that you are interested in your child’s education, you can subsequently spark some enthusiasm within them and guide to a crucial understanding that learning is enjoyable, rewarding, and worth all the efforts. One way you can show your kids understand how positive you are about education is to practice what you preach and choose to show your kids that you are willing to learn as well. Maybe taking up that MBA in accounting you’ve always wanted to do to further your career?
5. Be Present
Make it a point to attend all the parent-teacher meetings, presentations, or sporting events as often as you can. Demonstrate to your kids that their education is a priority. Also, ensure that you are familiar with your kid’s syllabus and class schedules. Marking important due projects and dates on your family calendar can aid you in tracking your child’s progress.
Being present is an important step. Your involvement from the time our kid starts schooling sets a positive precedent. You are basically showing them your commitment to their education. In fact, such is the importance of this step that several studies outline that the involvement of parents can effectively boost performance and limit behavioral problems.
6. Create a study spot.
You may have to sit with your kid while he or she is doing their homework or just close by to assist them to stay on track. Usually, to ensure full concentration, your child may need a somewhat quiet spot, away from distractions such as the Television or his/her other siblings or perhaps he or she may work better in a location that is near others.
Experiment together with your kid, and once you identify what works best, set this place the study spot. This way, your child not only learns how to get organized, but he or she has a place where they can fully concentrate on their work with minimal distractions.
7. Be Supportive and Encouraging
One of the many reasons our kids have educational issues and lose their interest in learning is when they associate education with pressure and anxiety. This can be due to them worrying about failing or getting bad grades or giving a wrong answer. When children learning routines become solely about the outcome, it is no longer exciting.
As parents, we need to make their educational experience more about the effort and process that your kids put into it. Try to be a kind, encouraging, and supportive parent as opposed to controlling and punitive. To help your kid enjoy learning, work towards encouraging and supporting him/her, and this will reignite their love for learning.
Conclusion
As parents, it is normal for us to want our kids to perform well in their studies. However, most of us don’t know how or where to begin to make it easier for them. Nonetheless, if you want to make your children’s education process more manageable, these few tips are an ideal way to start.
Good Luck!
Author’s Bio
Susan Wallace is a Professor at Nottingham Trent University. She is also a renowned author of several popular books, including Managing Behavior in the Lifelong Learning Sector. She previously worked as an advisor in the local authority for post-16 education.
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