The school has begun.
Whether you’re dealing with public school, private school, home school, or virtual school, most everyone is back to hitting the books (unless you’re somewhere that does year-round schooling). The transition can be tricky as students’ (and often, parents’) schedules and priorities are completely changed.
But there’s no reason this year can’t be the best year of school for your child. Here’s a few ideas of what you can do.
Set Goals
It’s good for your children to know your expectations. You don’t have to be overbearing or demeaning. Instead, talk with them and decide together where you would like them to be by mid-semester, the end of the semester, and the end of the school year.
If you want, you could even set some sort of reward system, but that’s up to you.
Know the Schedule
Parents should generally have an idea what their children have going on. Know what classes they’re taking, what extra activities their organizations are in, etc. By knowing what a student is going through, it’s a lot easier to engage them.
Get Involved
Whether it’s helping with their homework, reading a book they have to read, or going to functions they’re involved in, be active in your child’s schooling.
Statistics show that students with parents who are involved in their schooling tend to have fewer behavioral problems and better academic performance. So be there for them.
Know When to be Corrective and When to be Supportive
Sometimes your child needs to be told that what they are doing is wrong or that they could be doing a better job. Other times, they simply need you to get behind them. It can be difficult to know when to do which, but that’s part of what parenting is about.
The Virtual School Advantage
For students in online school, the switch from summer to school year is much easier both in scheduling and in logistics.. This makes it much easier for both the student and the parent.
Also, for parents who want to be active in their child’s education, it’s very easy to do that when it’s happening inside the home.
