Parenting is an important experience that many parents aren’t ready for; from the day you hear the great news that you are going to become parents to the day you marry them off, every day might seem like a rollercoaster.
On this journey, one of the biggest leaps is getting your child into the right school and ensuring they reap the greatest benefit.
The outcome of this high-pressure and high-investment part of your child’s life depends on your parenting skills. Schooling is a combined effort of teachers and parents and requires more than just a monetary investment from your end.
Many parents dread the challenge, and many take it head on; the only difference is whether they know how to go about things or not. Many parents wonder what amount of support is ideal, and rightfully so, because a careful balance between support and independence is needed for the best results.
If you are new to parenting and anticipating your child’s first school day or simply hoping to help them improve their grades, you’re at the right place.
The following are some handy tips to help your kid succeed in school:
Maintain Open Communication Between School And Home
The more involved you are in your child’s education, the better; research has shown positive communication between homes and schools fosters better grades, positive views about learning, greater attendance, and increased participation.
Be regular at ‘back-to-school nights’ and parent-teacher meetings. Make sure you know your child’s teachers before the new year begins so you can request changes if needed.
When evaluating the staff, a key factor is that educators who have completed an online education degree in curriculum and instruction are better equipped to facilitate your child’s learning process.
While this might not always be necessary, sometimes knowing if a teacher would not suit your child can save you a great deal of hassle in the upcoming year, and most schools are facilitative in this respect.
Maintain this open communication throughout the rest of the year; keep track of your child’s progress, the effectiveness of the teacher’s approach, your child’s weak points, etc.
Foster Good Study Habits
Quality, not quantity, of learning time matters, and if not for the right learning approach, your kid will never learn how to use their time and effort for the best outcomes efficiently.
Firstly, make sure your child steers clear of multitasking. Many kids these days are in the bad habit of doing homework while watching television or listening to music. No matter how confident one is in their ability to juggle several tasks simultaneously, dividing mental resources in this way is counterproductive.
Another important skill to teach is to break down large tasks into smaller, more manageable units; this gives a greater sense of achievement, makes learning more effective, and tasks less overwhelming.
Similarly, effective goal-setting, decision-making, and scheduling skills will facilitate their learning throughout the years to come.
Foster Good Sleep Hygiene
It might seem obvious that effective parenting includes putting kids to sleep on time, right? But do you know why?
Sleep is the time when the brain consolidates all learned information, and research has shown that school-going children need 9-11 hours, and teens need 8-10 hours of continuous sleep during the night.
Sleep deprivation affects the brain’s hippocampus, the area that makes new memories, and a lack of sleep can drop your ability to learn by 40%!
However, also know that sleep phase delay is a thing; if your teen is complaining about not feeling sleepy at night, it is because of a change in their circadian rhythm in adolescence that tends to make them more tired than usual.
Teens also have lower awareness of fatigue, meaning they don’t realize when they are sleep-deprived. A fixed sleep schedule should help deal with this biological change.
Help Them Maintain A Good Routine
Knowing how to balance your responsibilities with your personal life from the start can greatly help later. Help your kid create a daily schedule and assist them in deciding the time of the day when they want to do their homework and when they would like some time for themselves.
When doing this, it is best to let them take the reins. They will be more likely to stick to the routine if they have made it themselves. You could lead the discussion by asking them, ‘What daily routine would you like for yourself?’
You could present your routines as models and help them operationalize theirs.
Give Them The Encouragement They Seek
Even the slightest encouragement and acknowledgment from your end can go a long way in boosting your kid’s morale. A study revealed that even at 13-18 months, infants who got positive feedback for helping others were two times more likely to help others.
Praise – be it in the form of vague enthusiastic expressions like ‘well done!’ or process praise statements – motivates kids to keep at challenges and not get demotivated. It is obvious how this can help your child succeed in school.
Even positive expectations reinforce; don’t let your kid think you don’t have faith in their ability to succeed. Show them you trust their skills, and they will be more confident.
Encourage Self-Advocacy
One of the mistakes parents make concerning their children’s education is to make them too dependent on them. As impractical as it might seem, kids can advocate for themselves as early as kindergarten.
If you train them to stand up for themselves from day 1, they will surely make the most of their education until graduation.
Self-advocacy promotes self-efficacy and the belief that they control their environment and behavior. The next time they come to you complaining about something at school, ask them what they did in response.
Simply asking them about their approach will give them food for thought and encourage them to troubleshoot. Involve them in home-school communication and offer your support through the process.
Final words
Parenting is a big responsibility; fear not, for you aren’t alone. If you are troubled about helping your kid succeed in school and acknowledge your responsibility, you have already taken the first step.
Remember to keep an open communication channel between school and home, promote self-advocacy, teach good study habits, help them design a productive schedule, and encourage their efforts.
Jessica has a flair for writing engaging blogs and articles. She enjoys reading and learning new things which enables her to write different topics and fields with ease. She also strives to break down complex concepts and make them easy for anybody to comprehend.
