SEVEN WAYS TO PROMOTE LEARNING BY PARENTS

As a parent, you serve multiple roles – chauffeur, housekeeper, breadwinner, counselor, role model. When it comes to your child’s education, you may wonder what you can do to promote learning… especially if you don’t feel confident in all subject areas. However, you don’t need a degree in education to enhance your child’s educational experience. With these simple ideas, you can make a positive contribution by creating a supportive structure and environment for him/her to allow for optimum learning:

1. Build your child’s frustration tolerance level:

Children who persevere learn how to be resilient in the classroom: a “can-do” attitude goes a long way when being asked to solve a challenging math problem, complete a complicated science lab, or write a term paper. At home, you can foster the ability to persist in the face of adversity by not always stepping in at the first signs of discomfort. Encouraging your child with supportive comments such as, “I know you can do this,” or “I have confidence that you can figure this out,” allows your child to grapple with the situation and problem-solve in new ways to come up with solutions. Of course, if your child is having a complete meltdown, you may need to step in – but only to provide just enough support to get him/her back into a frame of mind to tackle the problem. Once your child weathers the “storm”, he or she will feel empowered and develop a sense of efficacy that would not occur if someone else instantly came to the rescue.

2. Be a stress reducer

Even as you help build your child’s frustration tolerance, you also don’t want to be a constant creator of frustrating scenarios. There is a delicate balance, and your role also needs be that of a listener – one who is supportive and empathetic about your child’s feelings. Really listen to your son or daughter, and don’t accept “fine” as the answer to the question, “How was your day?” Without being a nag, probe a bit more, and when your child does express sadness, anxiety, or anger, be there for your child. This doesn’t mean that you enable him or her and try to make the problems disappear, though: sometimes simply allowing your child to vent is enough. At other times, you can collaborate and devise a game plan to tackle a challenging situation. And in extreme cases, you may need to advocate for your child (for example, if your child is being bullied).

3. Be a role model:

This includes eating, sleeping, balancing work and play, and being a life-long learner. The adage that actions speak louder than words is true, and when your son or daughter catches you reading a book (just for the fun of it!), he or she may consider reading an activity people enjoy. Or, if you show your child that you sometimes take a break from your work to clear your mind, that habit may become ingrained in your son/daughter. Watching you exercise and eat healthfully conveys the message that you value these activities. Healthy, well-rested, emotionally-stable individuals stand the best odds of success at school, and your child can certainly learn more in a relaxed, healthy state that s/he has learned from watching you.

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