Every parent envisions success for their children. They want only the best for them and that includes seeing their children do well at school, going and succeeding in university, and then later on in life outside of academics as well. Parents put a lot of their effort, time, and money into seeing their children do well. They are sending their children to the best schools, providing them with their basic needs, as well as even setting them up for extra academic support such as home tutors or new learning materials. However, with all of these, they may also tend to forget or disregard one of the most important key components affecting their child’s success and that is their involvement as parents.
Children whose parents are more involved in their lives are also most likely to succeed in life. Unfortunately, not every parent thinks that it’s also important for them to get involved. Some think that providing the means for their children to succeed and forget that personal involvement is also just as important.
Plenty of studies shows that children benefit from the involvement of their parents in their lives. These children don’t just grow academically but also socially, emotionally, and behaviorally into good and successful people. On the other hand, children who didn’t see much involvement from their parents are turning backward in many ways. They may not know or have trouble dealing with things that come their way the way children whose parents are involved don’t have to worry.
As parents, you also strive to see your child grow up not only to be successful but also to be a well-rounded individual. Let’s look at the many ways parental involvement benefits children.
Children whose parents actively help or assist them with school work most likely do very well when it comes to academics. They are also more likely to accept help from other people as well as ask for help when they are having trouble understanding a topic. Whereas children whose parents are not very active in helping them with their school work tend to typically don’t do well in school. They may be more prone to forgetting to submit their tasks or homework on time. Aside from this, children whose parents are more involved are also more thought of well by their teachers compared to children whose parents are not as involved.
Children whose parents reiterate to them the importance of education are also most likely to be quite happy to attend school than those whose parents are not involved. Most times, these children have low self-esteem that they may also think or want to drop out of school or skip classes. They are not motivated to attend school as they are not made aware or aren’t taught the importance of education. Children whose parents are more involved see going to school with almost perfect attendance as stepping stones for their success.
Generally, children with good self-esteem and social skills are those whose parents are very involved with their lives. These are the children who have a good atmosphere in the home and as such because of this, they also foster good social skills and have a good sense of self. Children whose parents aren’t as involved or those that may come from a dysfunctional family background may be socially inept. They are also most likely to be the ones that suffer from low self-esteem or have poor social skills.
In relation to low self-esteem or lack of good social skills, another thing that can be noted stemming down from a dysfunctional family is behavioral issues in children. Some of these children also have parents who rarely show they care about them and lack the involvement they need. Children from a loving and caring home are more stable with their emotions and behavior. As such, they are also most likely to be stable and good with the relationships involving them.
We have been talking about the benefits of parental involvement in children and how it can help them in achieving their goals and becoming successful but how does one actually become involved with their children’s journey? We have a list of some of the ways for you to show your involvement and nurture success in your children.
Of course, this can be easier said than done. Parents already have a ton of responsibilities but there are many ways for you to get involved with their school life. It can be as simple as getting to know their teachers. Meet with their teachers whenever possible and show them that you are interested in your child’s learning. You can even ask them to get in touch with you in case there may be a problem with your child.
As such, make sure to also put an effort into attending parent-teacher meetings and other school programs that require you to attend so you can also interact with your child’s teachers and other parents as well. You can get to know the people involved in your child’s academic life during these gatherings. Additionally, your child wouldn’t also feel left out since you will be attending the meetings and programs. They will also feel you are making the effort.
Aside from their teachers, you can also get to know their classmates, schoolmates, and friends. But also take note that this shouldn’t be in any intrusive way. Just get to know them or know who the people your child is hanging around with. Invite their classmates for a meal or to a group study session in your house to get to know them better.
Once you get to know your child’s teachers, it will also be easier to approach them to ask and find out the areas your child needs improvement in and also help him in those areas. If your child needs the extra help you can even arrange a home tutor for them. Additionally, you can also help your child with their homework and see how you can help them in the completion of the homework. You can help them by providing a space for them to work on their tasks or you can assist them when they need help in answering questions.
You can also help in researching with them for answers such as looking it up on the Internet or providing them with the resource material or even just guiding them to the correct answer. However, it’s also important to note that you shouldn’t take the work away from your child. You can help them understand the topic or look for the answer but let them complete their own work and don’t do it for them. Helping them with their homework is not the same as doing the homework for them.
Lastly, you can also help your child in preparing for their tests. Help them in any way possible such as by helping them relieve themselves from exam stress to helping them with their exam revisions.
Technology has been used heavily in school nowadays you can hardly see any child who doesn’t know how to use devices such as smartphones or tablets. However, while technology is beneficial, it’s also best to monitor the amount of time your child spends playing or using their phones and watching TV. Make sure that they also have time for active play and entertainment should be fixed times in a day and your child should understand their limits. Set ground rules for what they can watch and the time they can watch as well. Excessive screen time can cause a huge distraction from their studies and may develop into an addiction in the long run.
The last tip is to build a relationship with your child. Don’t just constantly get involved with what they are doing if they aren’t comfortable with it. Build a relationship built on mutual trust and love, if you’re open with your child, they will also be more open to you. This will ensure that your child will come to you when they are having problems and troubles.
You can build a relationship with them by doing things together with them and bonding over them such as simple things like watching a movie, flying a kite, playing board games, or cooking a meal together. Encourage them to explore the world around them. Imparting knowledge is not only done in schools, but you can also do the same when you are spending time with them. Teach them about budgeting or about shopping as this will help them in the future when they are on their own. Encourage the habit of keeping up with the world news so they can be in touch with the current events. Help sharpen their minds and give them a broader perspective of the world to contribute to their knowledge and well-being.
Carelle is a teacher who has been through the ups and downs of the teacher and learner life. She wishes for every learner to gain educational satisfaction that will help embody the people they want to be in the future.
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