Are you concerned about your kids’ education? Do you feel like they are not getting the best opportunities to learn, or do you worry that they don’t have enough extracurricular activities? It’s never too late to make changes. Here are 6 things that every parent needs to remember when it comes to their kid’s education.
Kindergarten is NOT for learning how to read
Parents need to understand that kindergarten is not meant for children to learn how to read, or about numbers and math. The purpose of the Kindergarten year is simply socialization. It’s where kids begin making friends with other children in their class, as well as teachers.
It’s also an opportunity for parents to get into the habit of reading at night, which can help make them better readers when they start school proper (aka first grade). Also, you should be aware of the pros and cons of repeating kindergarten because repeating a year is not always a bad thing. Of course, if your child is already reading and doing numbers, then repeating kindergarten would probably not be the best move.
There is more to education than simply sitting at a desk all day! Remember that these are little kids – they need time for physical activity as well. You can make sure of this by enrolling them into sports or dance classes outside of school/kindergarten hours where they will not only socialize but also gain skills such as teamwork and leadership while having fun!
If you’re worried about the affordability, then ask around because it’s likely that there will be another parent who would want their kid enrolled on the same program too, which means discounts galore.
School is not all about studying and tests
A common misconception that parents have is thinking that school should be entirely focused on the child’s education, which means lots of studying and plenty of high-stakes testing like those conducted by PISA or TIMMS.
This can cause stress for both the parent as well as their children since studies show that such stresses lead to lower test scores rather than higher ones. The last thing you want your kid doing at night before bedtime is cramming facts into his/her head because this will make them lose interest in what they’re learning instead of motivating them to do better next time around!
The school is your child’s second home
Yes, this sounds a bit weird but bear with me here. Think about it – when you were in primary/elementary school, did you ever have homework? I didn’t think so! That was because the teachers understood that kids needed time to unwind and relax after spending all day studying or attending classes at their respective educational institutions.
The same holds true for high school students as well since they’ll be going through puberty during these years, which can affect them psychologically while also increasing their stress levels immensely without even realizing it. Remember: our children are humans too, despite what some parents might say. Give them space to breathe and don’t hover over them 24/24 hours a day!
Let your child choose which high school he/she wants to attend
Freedom is power! It’s never too early for kids to start thinking about their future – after all, choosing a good career path that they’ll be happy with within the long run won’t just affect them, but also you and everyone else close to them. Of course, this might not always happen if children are forced into making choices without knowing what it entails or how much time it will take up (like whether or not they need further education, such as college).
Don’t make this mistake because if your kid isn’t interested in pursuing something like medicine, then forcing him/her would only lead to resentment down the line. After all, we’re talking about spending at least 18 years of one’s life studying for this career path, which is a very long time indeed. As such, it’s more than worth giving your child freedom to choose which high school they go to (if you live in an area where this is possible), as well as the subjects they may specialise in when taking their GCSEs and A-Levels if you live in the UK, or for equivalent certificates elsewhere. Maybe they’ll choose to take a psychology a level, or if they are more creative, a fine art diploma. In the end, these choices are the ones that will then help them determine their own career and future.
Sports and other extracurricular activities
If your child happens to be very good at a particular sport or activity, then you should consider signing them up for that after school/kindergarten hours instead of just letting them watch TV all day. Not only will this allow children to socialize with their peers more easily, but it can also help develop some lifelong friendships as well as teach the kids how to work as part of a team, which they’ll need once they go on to high school since those tend not to have any sports programs available, unfortunately.
Also, remember that there are plenty of private schools out there that specialize in art classes – if your kid is really into music or painting, then check these places out because chances are they might provide the best environment for your child to flourish in.
Your kid has to study
I know that this might sound like a given, but I’ve come across too many parents who forget about this most basic of rules. If your child is attending school, then they will have homework and tests, whether you’re aware of it or not! That means no more excuses such as “but he/she has soccer practice tonight!” since the stakes are pretty high once children enter into elementary and junior high schooling years due to their age range during those times (between 11-14).
Once kids reach 15 however, things change because by now they’ll be expected to manage their own time with regards to balancing school work alongside extracurricular activities. Also, take care of your child’s mental health while they’re attending school – it can be very taxing on the kids to learn so much information, especially if you consider that some of them are still in puberty, which causes their brains not to function at full capacity. So make sure your kid eats well and gets enough sleep before heading out there!
If you follow these rules then everything should go smoothly for both parents and children alike since no one will end up feeling overwhelmed or stressed regarding education issues come high school time. Those 6 things could be the difference between a child that suffers from depression and one that can happily find themselves with an activity or career path they enjoy.
