Like most parents Cheap Rasmus Ristolainen Jersey , I try to do everything to get my children ready for school each year: Register them, pay fees, buy school supplies and new clothes, check out their new classroom, and talk with them about how much fun the upcoming school year will be. It seems like we should be all set - except for my usual worries about how good of a "homework coach" I will be during the year, trying to help my children be successful in school and enjoy life-long learning.
As parents, we often approach our children's school performance and school success with anxiety and tension. We want our children to succeed so they feel happy about their accomplishments and have better opportunities in the future. But we also have the nagging feeling that if our child doesn't do well in school Cheap Robin Lehner Jersey , it will reflect poorly on us as parents. We feel pressured to make sure they DO succeed. Often, with the best of intentions, we end up using exactly the wrong strategies:
Nagging and Lecturing
Parents usually don't start nagging children about homework and study habits until there is a problem (e.g., being sloppy with homework, or not wanting to do homework at all). Nagging only makes the problem worse because your child will either get angry at you or tune you out. Instead, try to problem-solve together with your child. Ask them to come up with several ideas on their own for how to improve this situation. Brainstorm about how to make homework more fun. Try out at least one of their ideas and discuss how it worked.
Taking Over
You don't trust your child to get things done right, so you tell them what to do Cheap Zemgus Girgensons Jersey , when and how. This may work in the short run but doesn't teach children to become independent learners who take responsibility for their work. Instead of taking over, help your child figure out what they need to do by asking questions: "What will you do? When will you do it? How will I know? How do you want me to hold you accountable for this?"
Focusing on the Future Benefits of School
As parents, we know how important a good education will be later in life. Just don't expect your children to be motivated by this idea; they are more focused on the here and now and give little thought to the future. To motivate them, focus on the immediate benefits of learning (having fun, developing new skills, and ability to play team sports in school if grades are good.)
Leaving Homework for the End of the Day
If homework is scheduled too late in the evening, with only bedtime to follow and no time to play Cheap Sam Reinhart Jersey , children won't be motivated to be efficient, and also won't want to go to bed since they haven't had any fun yet. Increase your children's motivation to complete homework by giving them something to look forward to afterwards. Favorite TV shows, videogames, talking on the phone, or having a special snack are all great rewards after homework is completed, and may provide the extra incentive your child needs to get through a boring and tedious task.
Insisting on Long Study Sessions
"You will sit here until all your homework is done" - this can feel overwhelming to children and create resistance, resulting in conflict. Instead Cheap Johan Larsson Jersey , schedule 10-15 minutes of study time, followed by a 5-min. break, then another 15 minutes of study. Repeat as often as necessary to complete homework. Children actually get more done that way.
Grounding Children for Missed Assignments and Poor Grades