Help Your Child Settle In This Term
Tholidays are now over and a new term has begun. Our children are back to school in pursuit of academic success. To ensure your child is fully equipped to accomplish all his or her goals this term, there’s a lot of work to be done by you and your ward. Here are a few steps you can take to help your ward properly settle into the new term.
It is vital to slowly reduce the amount of recreational activities your ward does as the term progresses. Activities like video games, board games, movies and general screen time can become an obstacle to your child’s academic improvement when not properly regulated, especially during these early stages of the trimester.
They may have become a part of your ward’s daily routine during the festive period and understandably so. However, completely eradicating them might have the wrong kind of effect. It is important to place a limit on the amount of recreational time your ward is now able to get each day to accommodate more academic activities such as their homework, test preparations and general study time. This will help to slowly integrate into their mindsets that it’s time to resume serious business.
Your child’s academic improvement in the new term should be at the top of your priorities this new year, and as such it is important to get all relevant parties involved. Put a call to your ward’s class teacher or academic counsellor. Regardless of their academic performance from the previous term, your ward’s teachers will always have closer insight to his or her academic activities than you do, and they will be of great assistance with information on your child’s attitude towards their academics and areas they feel your child can improve upon. This will help you to understand exactly how direct you need to be when motivating your child to spark an improvement.
Encourage your ward to make new friends. The academic journey indeed requires a lot of personal effort, but it can become even more fulfilling when your child has a friendship circle. Regardless of the size of this circle, the right set of friends can help to offer your ward the right kind of motivation. Regularly try to have conversations about the kind of company your ward keeps but be careful not to overstep. Some children have difficulty making friends, and it is important not to rush them into it. Rather, mildly encourage them and show them how much it means to you when they make a new acquaintance. Your child definitely cannot do any of it without you. It is essential you are always available for him or her in every way possible. Sometimes, children just need someone to hear them talk about their day at school, their struggles and their achievements; and sometimes they just need the right advice to navigate a particular situation. Easier said than done, but never be too busy to be emotionally available for your ward.