school
- Posted on
Parents can play a significant role in the academic success of their children. Unfortunately, many parents don’t realize the importance of their involvement in a child’s school career and are not sure how to get involved in a constructive way. <br><br>In some cases, too much or too little parental involvement becomes detrimental to the child – a difficult obstacle for many to overcome. The good news is that there are relatively easy steps you can take to show you child you are interested in his or her school work and offer the necessary help and support along the way.
The Parent-Child Relationship
A successful school experience begins at home, with the relationship between the parent and child. This process involves developing good habits at home that your child will easily adapt to during the school year. It also incorporates nurturing a comfortable, trusting relationship with your child that will make him more willing to come to you when problems and challenges in the school environment do occur. Some of the ways to encourage your child’s success in school include:
Good Habits
Good home habits will limit distractions and put schoolwork at the forefront throughout the academic year. First, instil a love of reading in your child, by keeping plenty of interesting books at home and reading together on a regular basis. Let your child see you sit down with a good book frequently and take trips to the library where you can explore the many interesting subjects together.
Next, limit activities at home that will distract your child from his academic duties. Watching television and playing video games are typically activities that consume more hours than homework in the majority of American households. By the same token, teach your child to use the Internet for constructive purposes like research and limit the amount of time spent randomly surfing online.
Building Relationship
It is important to establish open lines of communication with your child, so he feels like he can come to you when troubles at school start. Talking and listening is something to do together on a daily basis, even if it’s just to rehash details of the day. Ask your child about what happened at school, and include open-ended questions like, “What was your favourite thing that happened today?” to get the communication wheels turning.
The Parent-Teacher Relationship
It is important for parents to get to know their children’s teachers, creating an open line of communication between the parent and school throughout the school year. Getting to know your child’s teacher is an important component of tuning into where your child is academically and identifying potential problems and obstacles in their earliest stages. Make time to introduce yourself to your child’s teacher right at the beginning of the school year, and convey your interest in helping your child succeed academically. Attend parent-teacher conferences and carefully read all correspondence from your child’s teacher and school.
When you are building a relationship with your child’s teacher, there are some things to avoid if you want the relationship to be a positive one, including:
- Do not expect a teacher to single your child out for additional attention.
Teachers have large classrooms filled with students that have assorted needs, behaviour issues and learning deficiencies. They must divide their time among students as they see fit.
- Do not blame the teacher if problems arise within the classroom.
Even if the teacher is responsible for the issue, it is much more constructive to focus on solving the problem, rather than placing blame. In the long run, the positive relationship you maintain with the teacher will be much more beneficial for your child.
- Do not show up for a meeting with the teacher without scheduling it ahead of time.
Teachers are busy people who like to have time to prepare for parent meetings. Schedule the meeting with the teacher at a time that is convenient for both of you, and let the teacher know what you want to talk about so that he/she can prepare accordingly.
- Teach the Student Self Control
When children learn to take control of their desire for immediate gratification, they learn the rewards of their efforts can be far-reaching.
- Encourage Independence
Underachieving students usually need to learn to focus on a task and stick with it until completion – without nagging from a parent or teacher. However, this is not an easy lesson for these children to learn, and it takes plenty of time and patience before the concept catches on.
- Cultivate Will-Power
Underachieving children need to learn to force themselves to stick with a task until it is finally finished. Will-power might also be referred to as self-discipline, and it is a necessary component for all aspects of a successful life.
- Consider the Spiritual Side of a Work Ethic
When students learn to transform negative moods and attitudes into positive, productive outcomes, it can change their entire outlook on life.
- Teach Personal Responsibility
Students who do not tend to pull their own weight need to learn that their success or failure rests on them alone – not on their teachers or parents. When students learn that they hold the key to their destiny, they become more motivated to succeed academically.
- Develop Rational Thinking
Logical thinking as an important component of succeeding in the real world. Students need to learn to look at the world in realistic terms and meet problems head-on if they are going to see success in their endeavours.
- Hazards of Helicopter Parenting
Some parents tend to move to the extreme when it comes to getting involved in their children’s academic success. This phenomenon has been referred to as “helicopter parenting” by some experts – the act of hovering over a child, trying to tackle any threat or problem that comes in their child’s path. Helicopter parents even take this approach well into the high school and college years, helping students with roommate issues, teacher conflicts and course scheduling.
Characteristics of Helicopter Parents
- Constant Contact with the Child and school
- Academic Decisions made by Parent not Child
- Parents Feels Guilty if the Child does not do Well
Disadvantages of Helicopter Parenting
- Children are Not Able to Mature as They Should
- Parents Become Overly Anxious about Child’s Performance
- Schools Must Use Resources to Deal with Parents, Rather than Students
While micro-parenting of this sort may seem to offer benefits on the surface, the hazards of this parenting style are far-reaching for the children.
- # “Behind every young child who believes in himself/herself is a parent who believed first.” –Matthew Jacobson
[learn_press_profile]
