Parents - you can be your child's best teacher
The need for parents to actively participate in their child’s education is not a debatable topic. The probability of your ward learning things at home is higher than anywhere else. Children spend the maximum amount with their parents at home or in an environment that you as a parent will provide with. Hence parents can in turn greatly influence and convince him/ her to a lot of things in life. Regardless of child’s age, whether he is college or school, parents play an imperative role in shaping their child’s education and future.
Your child needs to know the importance of education and ways in which it will influence his/ her future and career.
Most parents can improve the education of their children if they want to. It is not important to know all the subjects or courses that your child is studying, for you to be able to help them out. There are a lot of things which influence your child’s learning graph and most of them you will have a direct control of. Let’s have a look at things parents can improvise on in order to participate positively in their child’s education and improve it.
Take out time
The first and foremost is being able to take out time from your schedule and spend quality time with your child. Your child needs your attention and not being able to give him so will only make your child irresponsible and irksome. Spend time with your children and try to know of things they have done in the day, things they learned in their school/ college. If possible, help them out with their studies.
“Education is not the filling of a pail but the lighting of a fire.” —William Butler Yeats
Encouraging and supporting environment
There might not be a lot of things that you’d be able to do for your child, as when they grow up, in terms of helping them out in their subject/ course problems but you can definitely control the environment in which they feel the need to excel. Providing your ward a supportive environment and having a loving relationship with all the family members will make your child stress less on the irrelevant matters and in turn concentrate more on their studies. Provide them a quiet place for study where they can study with more focus and interest.
“The best thing parents can do for their children is to love each other.”
Practice what you preach
You need to practice what you preach. Don’t expect your child to concentrate on his homework/ studies when you have the television switched on. Don’t indulge in things that your children are not permitted to do when they are on their study routine or otherwise. Avoid activities which you think will divulge the attention of your child away from his/ her studies.
“Children need models rather than critics.” —Joseph Joubert
Don’t come too hard
It is important to come down on your child if their grades drop but before doing so you need to be a 100 per cent sure of the reason. Encouraging your child to do well is just as important as keeping a constant open line with your child. Your children should be able to come up to you and share with you any problem they might be facing, academic or otherwise. Also, it is detrimental that you encourage your child after they score less or fail so that it enables them feel determined for the next time.
Communicate with teachers
There is a reason why schools conduct Parent-Teacher meetings; you need to be in a constant touch with your child’s teachers. Don’t overdo it but know your child’s weaknesses and strong points. Keep an open line of communication with the teachers to be able to understand of what you are required to do to help your improve accordingly.
Discuss all troubles and tribulations
You will stand strong for your child and your child needs to know that. Know where your child is right or wrong. Most importantly instill the faith in your child to come up to you in case of any problem. Your child needs to be stress free to be able to concentrate on his/ her studies.
Don’t blindly trust your child
It is very important to know the right from wrong and be able to trust your child. Trusting your child is just as important as not blindly trusting them. They are children after all for a reason. Trust your instincts and question your child if you think that something is not right with them. You should have an account of their daily activities without coming out as too strong and wanting to control it all the times.
Instill good study habits
Instill good study habits in your children by advising them against what is right from the wrong. While there are things that are universal and are applicable with all children there are things that you should be able to adjust with your child. Things like sitting straight and studying in good light are important regardless of anything. Your child’s concentration pattern and when they study should be more left on your child. You might be able to make your child study early in the morning or at timings which you feel are right till certain age but do not force your child to follow them on growing up. Every child has own attitude and aptitude.
“Children must be taught how to think, not what to think.” ― Margaret Mead
While all things children are important, how you behave with your child is also just as much important. Maintain that balance of your love for your child and knowing when to be strict. Remember that beating your child to do the right thing might just only make him/ her stubborn. Be able to deliver your message across without losing your temper and have an authoritative figure while stopping them from something.