All parents want their children to do well in school and to achieve good scores in all their subjects. It is so important for a parent to encourage their child and to help them without putting them under too much pressure. Children are typically under enough pressure as it is, and do not need constant reminding. (more…)
These days, children have to absorb huge amount of information at school. Depending on the school and teaching methods of the teachers, your child may have to complete varying amounts of homework.
Educationalists recommend a maximum of half an hour of homework per day for children aged nine to eleven, and a maximum of one and half hours and minimum of half an hour for children up to thirteen. If your child seems to get excessive amount of homework regularly take the issue up with school and teachers.
There are several things you can do to encourage your child to complete the homework without straining your relationship with her or him.
Always allow the child some relaxation time after returning from school. Create a non-distracting, clean, and well lit, place of study so that child can fully concentrate on homework once started. TV in particular must not be allowed to distract the child.
Keep yourself interested in the homework but not excessively so. You should bring yourself up to date on the subjects studied, so that you can be helpful if needed. You should not complete the homework for the child while trying to help.
Never make your child feel as if they cannot complete the homework successfully through their own inability. Always take a positive attitude instead of a negative one.
Plan rewards for the child when the homework is completed, such as more time for doing something child enjoys.
By taking these simple steps both your child and you will find the homework a rewarding activity instead of a chore.
One of the things that parents find hardest to do is saying “no” to their children. We as parents must realize the difference between entitlements and privileges of children.
Some things are children’s rights, and should never be taken away or even threatened. Some of these rights include children’s education, food, shelter, and clothing, among others. On the other hand, there are many things that should be treated as privileges. Extra play time, television, toys, expensive sneakers, movies, and other extra curricular activities, are some of the things that can fall under this category. Those things can be held back if required to assist child’s overall development.
Parents should not only be clear about this on their own mind, but also explain the difference to their children. They must make sure that their children realize that privileged activities are dependent upon their own behavior and actions.
This granting and withholding of privileges to encourage good behavior and to discourage bad behavior is a respected and effective parenting technique. Studies by educational psychologists have shown that this positive reinforcement is more effective than punishment of children, which can result in simmering resentment and even psychological scars.
However, parents must be consistent and open in order to be effective. For example, if they cut the child’s television time for not doing home work, they should have made this clear to the child beforehand, and they should stick to similar policy at all times and with all their children, especially child’s siblings, if any. Any changes to the policy should be discussed with the child.
Parents should guard against peer pressure to provide various extra things to children just because other parents do. As already stated, explain the situation to the child and what he or she should do to earn the privilege.
Keep in mind that sometimes saying “no” is the duty of a responsible parent.
There are several things you can do in that regard.
All in all you can do a lot to reduce your child’s anxiety to great extent, and to make that first day an enjoyable and memorable experience.
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