Helping Your Child Be Successful

by Colleen Slavik

March 27, 2006

I think most parents would agree, they wish they had a magic wand to help their child be successful at school and in their future professions. Unfortunately, there is not a magic wand, but there are ways to help your child be successful. Perhaps you are doing most of these; perhaps not, but even if you are, it is important to know you are on the right track.

Stress the Importance of School

Your child relies on you to give him or her messages as to what is important. If you let your child know the importance of education and insist on good attendance and punctuality, your child will feel the same way. If your child was going to work rather than to school; would they still have a job?

Create a List for School

Make a list for your child to check before leaving home. Does your child have his/her lunch money, books, homework, library books, P.E. shoes, etc? Just as a person needs tools for most jobs, your child needs to be prepared to come to school.

Create a Study Routine

Set a time and place to do homework away from distractions, and that includes the television, radio, or boom box. Build in a break time if the student has lots and lots of homework.

Be Available

When your child is studying or doing homework, be available. Don't give your child the answer but help them to learn to think on their own.

What is Your Child's Learning Style?

Does your child learn best by seeing, hearing or hands-on activities? Understanding how your child learns, can help you with his study skills.

When Your Child Has Success, Praise the Child

Sadly, many children only hear negative remarks from their parents. Rewards can be anywhere from a "Good Job!", to small presents, picking the menu for supper, or anything to let your child you know he has been successful.

Read, Read, and Read Some More!

Read with your children. Have them read to you. Take turns reading a paragraph. Read your own book, while they read theirs. If you never read, you are sending the message to your child that reading is not important. Reading is a skill needed across all subjects.

Attend School Activities

In today's world, people get busy so busy, they can't "cover all bases", and unfortunately attending school events gets neglected. Did your parents come to all school events? If they didn't, did you wish they would? If they did, weren't you glad your parents cared enough to come? Everyone is busy, but when you don't attend school activities, you send a message to your child that school, or even the child doesn't matter.

Hopefully, for some parents this will just reinforce what they are doing, and for others, they will find some ideas to help their child become more successful at school and in the future. These ideas were summarized from a pamphlet provided by Positive Promotions.