1. Be aware that you are your child’s first teacher
Lead by example when it comes to behaviour, treatment of others, work ethic, and so on. By now, you will be well aware that little ones pick up on everything you do, so make sure you’re teaching the behaviour and values that you would like to see demonstrated by your kids.
2. Don’t draw comparisons
Every child is different, and there is enough pressure placed on young people these days without them having to worry about getting the same grades as ‘so-and-so’. Treat your child as the individual they are, and aim to help them reach their own potential.
3. Be organised
Organisation is the key to success, and it starts in the home. Teach them to follow a neat and organised approach when it comes their homework, work space and tests – they can only benefit from this.
4. Work out problems together
If they are struggling with a subject or have gone down in their grades, sit them down and talk it through with them. While it may be difficult for them to see the problem clearly, you may be able to instantly identify and rectify the problem. That being said….
5. Let them solve simple problems themselves
Kids need their independence, and there are some simple, everyday things that they need to handle themselves. Give them the benefit of the doubt and have great expectations of their amazing capabilities.
6. Encourage them to think and act for themselves
This is important. While every child needs rules and guidance, they also need to be able to think for themselves and become comfortable with their own personalities and viewpoints. If they come to you with a problem, sit them down and ask them how they think they should tackle it, and make it into a discussion.
7. Promote teamwork
Again, this is a really important lesson that will stick with them throughout life. Promoting teamwork will help them to work better with others and improve their social skills.
8. Give them responsibilities at home
Assigning a task or chore will not only build their confidence and competence, but it will instil a sense of pride in their work that will extend to other areas of life.
9. Inject fun where possible
Let’s face it, work – whether it’s at school, in the home or at the office – can be dull. Try to inject as much fun where possible, whether that entails using a rhyme to remember a tricky spelling, or introducing cute characters to a math problem.
10. Applaud their achievements
As with every aspect of life, you need to focus on the positive, and this is especially true of school. Applaud your little one’s achievements and best efforts, and in instances where things didn’t work out how they had hoped, always build on the positives.
