Having school-age children can sometimes be a relentless battle, where as parents, that children do well in school can become a complicated task, because it is a constant dilemma between the responsibility and discipline you want to instill in them, and their desire to do anything but school work.
It is natural for children to dislike school, as they see it as a responsibility that takes them away from what interests and entertains them, such as play, rest and other activities outside of school. But then, how can school be transformed from this threat, to fun, to a necessary obligation?
The key is to take the right steps and strategies to change your child's idea of school. Beyond scolding and arbitrary punishments, encouraging a child to do well in school is a task that involves understanding, communication and discipline rather on the part of parents than on the part of the little ones. Therefore, here we tell you how to encourage your children at school.
1. Communicate with your child about what is happening at school
In most cases, poor school performance is not directly a problem of the child, but of his school life, and it may be because he does not feel at ease while at school. You need to assess whether your child is having problems at school beyond academics, i.e., is he/she experiencing bullying, is he/she having problems with peers, with his/her teacher, or is there an external situation that is affecting his/her academic performance.
Communication with your child about school should be constant, to keep you aware of how they are feeling and what is going on, and not just ask them about school when they are having problems.
2. Establish rules, rewards and punishments
In adult life, we all face rules, rewards and punishments for our behavior, and it is in this way that we recognize appropriate and inappropriate behaviors, thus replicating what we are rewarded for and motivating us to behave better. This is the same for younger children.
The ideal is to establish conditions such as "when you finish your homework, you can play" or "if you get good grades, you can have...", this way, you will reward what you want your little one to do and he will be much more likely to continue this appropriate behavior. The same applies when their performance is not adequate (as long as it is not for a reason unrelated to their effort), so you should withdraw rewards or punish and restrict certain things or activities they enjoy. This will also help set goals that your child can aspire to achieve.
3. Create set times and spaces for homework
Children function better under routines that are predictable, so it will become easier to complete their homework if they have a consistent schedule and a defined space. This way, you can maintain a consistent performance over time that your child will be able to predict, as well as have predetermined free time and fun time.
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