Not many parents realize the power they have over their children. Most parents associate parenting with control. They do not openly acknowledge it, but their parenting ways have a lot to do with wielding control over almost all aspects of their children’s lives.
Parenting should never be about control. It should be about giving the right guidance, teaching the right values and inculcating discipline and inspiring and encouraging the child. Parents have a huge responsibility towards their kids; they are their first and most significant teachers.
In that respect, a child’s education starts with parents, as the first teacher. The role of the parent extends beyond the home and includes getting involved in the child’s school activities as well. You may admit your child in one of the best schools, but your responsibility is not limited to that. Many good schools provide the best academic education, but if you want to see a mercurial rise in your child’s academic performance and overall personality, you will need to provide the child with the right kind of support, at home.
Listing below some solutions which parents can adopt to help with their child’s education:
Be your child’s buddy
What do buddies do? They do things together. They understand each other. They create a happy environment for their friendship to bloom. When you become your child’s buddy, you do the same thing, while keeping an eye on the child’s development. As a buddy, you can help the child overcome their fears and limitations, encourage them, stand by them in their failures, teach them to face adversity. In doing so, you make them stronger and prepare them for the challenges of life.
Guide your child
Be there to guide, support and supervise your child’s activities, at school, at home and everywhere else. You must remain informed of what is going on in their life. Encourage them to have their friends over at your place, so you get actual information about their choice of friends. Connect with the parents of their friends, to ensure that those children have stable families. This will prevent your child from falling into bad company, which can lead to unwanted behavioral problems.
Create a pleasant environment
Children get deeply impacted by the tension between parents. At all times try to keep conflicts between you and your spouse and other family problems away from your child. Do not fight in front of the child, because it can have an adverse on them – it can damage their personality and affect their grades. An unhappy home environment can scar the child for the rest of their life.
Love unconditionally
Your child should know that you love them unconditionally. This gives them the confidence to discuss everything with you, without fear or shame. Parents must realize that their child is an individual and they must respect that individuality. Parents can influence their child, but should never force their choice on them. Explain the pros and cons of things, but learn to accept the choices the child makes.
Avoid emotional blackmail to make your child do what you want. Instead, remove privileges. For example, do not allow a child who refuses to study, to go out with friends. Make the child understand their responsibilities and that there will be consequences if those responsibilities are ignored.
Set rules
Rules are important and should be adhered to at all times. However, be practical, while making rules. Have them make a timetable, with time for studies and leisure activities. Teach them to follow the timetable, by enforcing strict consequences. No computer games, if they don’t tidy your room. No pizza over the weekend if they don’t finish their vegetables.
Provide constructive criticism
Every child goes through the learning phase, they make mistakes, they fail, they stumble, they lose confidence, they deal with fears, but they also succeed. As a parent provide an unbiased view, keeping aside your emotions. Your job is to guide the child, and you can do this through constructive criticism. What you tell your child should not be hurtful.
You should provide critical views that do not blame or shame. The child should never be made to feel that they are any lesser because of that one failure or error in judgment. Criticize, without accusations. Criticize with an aim to help the child find solutions, and to make them understand their mistakes and learn from them.
Don’t live through them
Don’t expect them to fulfill your unfulfilled dreams and aspirations. That would put too much pressure on them. Allow them to follow their dreams and pursue what they like. Your child does not have to become an engineer or doctor, because that is the norm of society. If your child chooses commerce, be happy with that choice.
Allow independence
Most parents hold their child’s hand all through life, of course figuratively speaking. However, that is not good parenting. You should not do that school project for them or help them with their assignments. Limit your role to that of a guide. Give ideas, but let the child finish the task on their own. This will empower them with confidence.
Praise and encourage them
Applaud your child’s achievements, it is a great confidence booster. Encouragement makes them set higher goals. This would boost their confidence level and help them to excel and perform better in learning and other school activities.
Encourage skill development
Skills are very important, help them develop skills. Every skill teaches something. Skills need not be educationally oriented. For instance, reading books is a lovely pastime, which improves vocabulary, imagination and perception skills.
Recreation is important
Board games over the weekend, or an excursion to a wildlife sanctuary, a zoo or a historical place or museum. These recreational activities are educative and should be encouraged.
Parent Teacher Meetings
Parent Teacher Meetings are important, don’t give them a miss. Your child spends a good part of the day in school, and if anyone knows what your child is up to, it is the teacher(s).
Trust the teacher’s instinct, listen to what they have to say and offer to cooperate. A teacher has every student’s welfare in mind. They are on the same team as you, listen to their advice, with respect to your child.
Give your child time
And lastly, be there for your child. Time is the greatest gift you can give your child that can help shape their life. Keep the weekends free to spend time with them. Listen to them when they have something to say to you.
At the International School of Thrissur, we believe that the balance of education at school and home shape a student’s real learning. Being one of the best schools in Thrissur, we assured a helping hand of inspiration and motivation to our children throughout their journey of education