From the present point of view, it seems that a few decades ago parenting styles were more relaxed and people didn’t fret much about what diapers they used for their babies or what they packed for lunch for their school kids. But now, it’s as if every aspect of parenthood seems fraught. However, one thing that remained equally important is the kids’ education and parents are still doing their best to stay involved without helicoptering and help their child thrive at school without imposing their own unrealised ambitions.
It may often seem overwhelming trying to find the balance so here are several ways you might take to support your child education journey.
Find your pre-schoolers tribe
Supporting your child’s education begins the moment they start their journey and the first step is picking the right school. Bearing in mind your child’s specific personality, choose an environment that doesn’t only have a great reputation but which makes both you and your child feel safe and comfortable.
Make an effort to meet other kids’ parents and connect outside of school in family gatherings and playdates so you can all get more familiar with each other. Learn your kid’s schedule and go through it for them every day to make the transition from home to school smoother as there will be some separation anxiety and stress.
Also, establish good relations with the teacher and don’t wait for the first issue to arise to be the first time the two of you talk. Spend a few extra minutes at the drop off and pick up to chat about your kid and their progress. Most of all, trust your instincts so if something feels wrong, it surely is. Talk to the teacher and find the solution together.
Form connections throughout elementary school
Your involvement should continue throughout your child’s elementary school so make it a priority to attend school meetings and events as they can give you more insight into your child’s education. Your presence and interest is also very reassuring for teachers as they know they will be able to count on you.
Elementary school education is the first mandatory educational level and a big milestone in every students’ life that can define their future academic and personal life. During this period, children not only learn the basic skills but they also form their attitude towards their teachers, peers and subjects they study, so your support and influence can help a great deal in building their character and paving the path of future education.
Enhance your child’s learning environment
One of the most important ways you can support your child’s education is by enhancing and expanding their learning environment to support their academic performance. Start with your own home and make it a habit to have dinner conversations about something they learnt at school, take educational trips, play games, do sports and art together, read together and reinforce those interest you feel will contribute to your kids’ achievement at school.
Almost all kids are tech-savvy so use their computers to find appropriate online resources and software to help them practice their academic material and get a better understanding of the matter. There’s an abundance of material that can help develop their language skills as well since they’re essential for their further progress. Reading and writing comes easy to some kids but others struggle and to help them cope, you can also rely on individualised English tutoring programme to help them master the English language and become more confident and proficient.
Stay involved throughout middle and high school
In your kids’ next phase of education, middle and high school, your interest and involvement should continue as with that, their performance will improve too. In this stage, you’re not supposed to solve their problems but rather encourage the kids to search for solutions, manage their responsibilities and monitor their own progress. This means holding your kids accountable and that can help the greatly in staying on top of things.
Although this stage of kids’ development is characterized by their desire for freedom and independence, they still need structure and support at home so it’s very important to strike that fine balance between your desire to control them and their growing up and becoming more independent.
Being a parent is certainly the hardest job we can have in life but it’s also the most rewarding, especially when you see the result of your effort to help your kids grow into responsible, educated and successful people.
