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Parenting TIPS – How to help your child be successful in school.
Kids are cute! We love our kids and we want to make them happy. They really are more fun when they are happy, and we all like a peaceful family.
However, as parents we need to remember that our primary goal and task as parents is not to necessarily make our kids happy; it is to train them to be physically, spiritually, intellectually and emotionally prepared for adulthood.
Part of this training comes through education – both at home and at school. With this in view, LIFE International School would like to offer 10 tips on how to help your child be successful in school, as part of their training and preparation for adulthood.
“The Story we usually tell about success is the one about intelligence as measured by test scores. However, the true qualities that matter most have more to do with character: skills like perseverance, curiosity, conscientiousness, optimism, and self-control.” – Paul Tough
Be intentional to help your child build winning character.
Why do some children succeed while others fail? Much has to do with the cultivation of their character.
Author Paul Tough says that “the story we usually tell about success is the one about intelligence as measured by test scores. However, the true qualities that matter most have more to do with character: skills like perseverance, curiosity, conscientiousness, optimism, and self-control”.
Tough states that children who learn to persevere even when they are bored or doing an unwanted task, and those who learn to follow through on a plan – these are the children that evidence the qualities that help them succeed most in life.
It is true that part of our character is “caught”— absorbed from positive role models and the experience of being treated with love and respect. However, improving character is a matter of intentional effort by parents, and often requires struggle. Children don’t become wiser, more patient, more self-disciplined, more truthful, more courageous, or more forgiving – just with the passing of time. Character grows through intentional training.
What are some steps you can take to help your child build winning character?
For Perseverance: Break down tasks into achievable portions. Expect completion and be generous with praise for a job well done.
For Honesty: Praise honesty and reinforce the importance of telling the truth, even when it is hard. Let your child know that future privileges depend on present honesty and dependability.
For Obedience: Train your child to do what he/she are told, when they are told, and with a good attitude.
For Gratitude: Teach your child to show appreciation when others do things for them or give them gifts. “Thank-you!” is a simple phrase that is extremely important all throughout life.