How to Encourage your Child to Study
If you want to put your child in the best possible position to succeed and if you want them to be motivated in school, then this is understandable. That being said, you do have to make sure that you are giving them a great deal of support at home. There are numerous ways for you to do this, some of which are listed below.
Stay Positive
It is so important that you keep an open relationship with your child. You need to be positive, and you also need to be open. Remind yourself time and time again that both you and your child are on the same team. By doing this, you can be as influential as possible, which is a very useful parenting tool in your arsenal. If you punish, preach or threaten your child then this won’t get you anywhere, in fact, it may even be detrimental to your relationship along with their motivation. It’s important to know that your feelings of fear, anxiety or even frustration are both normal and understandable. If you react to your children out of these emotions, then this can be ineffective, and it can make things much worse for you. Your child is not behaving in the way that they are because they want to make your life miserable. If you feel yourself getting angry or upset, simply remind yourself that although your child isn’t quite there yet. Also, take the time to remind yourself that it is your job to help them to learn how to be responsible, and if you happen to make this into a negative issue then your child may become defiant which is the last thing you want for them. Positivity is key.
Incorporate the Rule “When You”
One of the biggest lessons in life is that you get paid after you do work. Tell your child that they can go to their friend’s house when they are done studying, or that they can watch a movie when they have done their homework. If you can do this, then you will soon see a spark in their motivation. By enforcing the “when you” rule, you can then help your child to learn discipline, and from this, gratification. If you can do this, then you are bound to see more positive results in the future.
Create Structure
If your child is not studying and if their grades are dropping, then you have every right to get involved here. You don’t have to do the work for them, but you do need to set the structure for them, as they are probably not able to do this themselves. It may be that you give them scheduled study times or that you have the computer in a public place so you can help them to stay focused. If your PC is constantly experiencing issues, then this will not be helping your child with their motivation. If you are getting the verification failed error, or if you are experiencing Wi-Fi issues a lot of the time, this can be corrected.
Meet with their Teacher
If your child’s work habits and grades are not the best, it is possible for you to set a plan by simply sitting down with them and their teachers. Have your child check in with their teacher every day before leaving school so they can make sure that they have all of their homework assignments. You can also ask them every morning to bring their homework back from school. This will help your child to manage their time better and it will also help them to complete their work much more efficiently. Eventually, you can let them take care of things on their own but for now, it’s important to take this into account.
Identify a Study Spot
Your child may well need a quiet location that is away from family so that they can study. It may be that your child does better when they are near others. You can try a few different things here, but at the end of the day, a lot of it comes down to what works best for them. If you want to keep your child focused then it may be that you sit with them while they do their homework. You can also read a book while they work. It is okay to help your child with their homework if they are stuck but you should not do the work for them. It is fine for them to ask if a certain paragraph makes sense, but it is not okay for you to write every sentence for them. Give them just enough help to get over the difficult part and then hold back.
Break Down Assignments
Decide if your child needs you to break down the assignment into smaller pieces. You can get them a whiteboard, or you can even buy them an electronic way of tracking their assignments. Either way, if your child is having a tough time then it helps to break things down for them, so you can give them support when they truly need it.
Be Firm
Ideally, you want to be positive and you also need to try and help your child. At the same time, you have to try and be firm. You need to consistently enforce rules and you also need to set your child up for success. Being firm means that you are enforcing the rules with consequences. If your child doesn’t follow the rules, then make sure that you stick with the punishment. Don’t shield your child from the consequences of not being able to do their work, even if it means them failing their grade. For every negative experience your child has, it helps to create ten positive ones. Worrying and nagging won’t get you very far, but being a supportive parent will help your child in more ways than one, so make sure that you keep that in mind and that you use it to your advantage.
