Monday, September 20, 2010

Nurture Your Child’s Love of Learning

Now that school has started, homework is well underway!  Despite the massive amounts of it, homework actually does have benefits: they’re learning good study habits, time management, organization and planning skills, problem-solving and decision making.  Homework also reinforces what they’ve learned at school. This gives them confidence and teaches them to be responsible.  These are benefits that last a lifetime. 

Most children have a love of learning that you want to nurture.  So it’s important that we as parents keep a positive attitude about homework because our attitude will affect our child’s attitude.   

Since working parents struggle with having enough time and energy on weeknights to get homework done, here are some suggestions to simplify this challenge: 

Don’t ignore it if your child is struggling.  Get her the help immediately so she can catch up and begin to excel in his schoolwork.  Talk with the teacher or school counselors about what can be done to help her. You might want to hire a tutor. Then she’ll feel good about schoolwork rather than always feeling stressed and frustrated.  

Create a calm atmosphere. If you’re feeling rushed, and stressed out, your kids will mirror that and frustration and resistance will grow.  Let them know you’re happy to give them your time and attention. 

Create a quiet study area by remove distractions such as the TV, cell phones, and games.  The quieter it is the better concentration will be. 

Help them learn how to solve the problems and not give them the answers.  Yes, it’s faster and easier to give the answer, but children need the satisfaction of doing it themselves. 

Sincerely commend the work and attitude that your child shows.  A parent’s approval means a lot more than always rewarding with toys. It helps them value personal qualities. Although at times I’ll admit, bribery can work wonders. 

Avoid the power struggle.  Kids thrive on a routine and parents must be consistent in what is expected of each child – the rewards for a job well done and the consequences of choosing to ignore direction.  Allow them as much freedom as they can handle.  If you notice they’re sliding in areas, you’ll need to try something new. 

Help them grow into their potential. We all have personalities that need to be adjusted.  Procrastination, laziness, lack of concentration, sloppiness, rushing through an assignment rather than doing one’s best, forgetting materials at school are all behaviors that need to be addressed.  It’s best to pick one and talk about why it’s a problem and how life can be better by changing it.  Then have specific tips on how to change it, keeping in mind that bad habits don’t change overnight.   

Keep good communication with the teacher.  If you can, help out in class. Don’t wait for teacher conference time to address any problems. The teacher has many students and may miss warning signs that you see. 

Spend time doing fun things together so you can build a strong, loving relationship with your kids. It shouldn’t be all work and no play. 

If you can’t be home when your kids return from school, make sure the childcare provider knows the rules and sticks to them.  And, if you’re not able to get it all done, think about hiring a tutor or delegating some of the household chores.  It’s so important for our kids to get a good education and time slips away too quickly to waste it on nonessentials.  

No comments: