Study skills are crucial for your child to be successful in his or her academic career, but they alone are not enough to make your child a straight “A” student. To get the total package, your child needs both study skills and organizational skills. You can help your child learn and master simple organization skills at home, from an early age.
One of the best ways to become a great organizer is to develop and follow a great routine. Once you have home routines down, your child should do the same with school routines. For example, if your child knows that he always has to come home from school, grab a snack, and then do homework and study until everything is completed, and that he is not allowed to do anything else until this is done, he will accept this routine, and after a while, do it without even thinking about it. Routines make even busy adult lives easier to handle.
For your child to be well-organized and prepared both at home and school, you will have to supply them with the essential items they need, pencils, paper, highlighters, etc. Make certain that you are familiar with your child’s class schedule, and the supplies needed, so that you can help with whatever your child may need. Even if your child is a teenager, they still look to you as a role model, so if you practice organizational skills in your own life, they are much more likely to do the same.
As your child grows older and more mature, you should talk about the importance of setting goals, and help them set some goals that they can achieve, so that they can become more familiar with the process. You should also make certain that your child knows what your expectations are, as far as grades, homework, studying, and around the house chores. Don’t just tell your child to do something one way, give them several options to choose from, or if there are no options available, explain to them the reasons why the task should be done in this manner. Your child will be much more open and willing to try something if you explain it to them, rather than just demand that they do it your way.
It is also important that you let your child know up front what will happen if they don’t do as expected. If they bring home a report card that states homework isn’t being done, or if grades start falling, let them know what privileges they will lose, and for what duration. You don’t want to put too much pressure on them or be unwilling to compromise, but they do need to know that you will follow through with the consequences, if they don’t do what is required of them. Your child again, may not like you, but if he or she has to go a semester with no cell phone, or no parties, they will think twice the next time they decide to skip their homework. For some children, actions are the only way to get their attention so that they listen to you.
Teach your child that organization can help make their life better, and that they will be able to do more things that they enjoy, if they plan a good routine and stick to it. You have to stick with it as well, and don’t give in just because your child begs to stay home from school today, or doesn’t want to do that science assignment. It works both ways!
Children seem to at times be master procrastinators. They try to make deals with you, beg and plead, and if all else fails, cry, so that you will let them put off what they don’t want to do now for later, and then the same thing happens when you tell them that later has come and that they have to do the awful, dreaded task now. When it comes to homework and studying, procrastination can really be a bad habit, and one that can be very detrimental to your child from an academic standpoint as well. You, as the parent, need to teach your child the importance of making the most of their time, and that if they go ahead and get their homework and studying done, sooner rather than later, that they will have more time for the things that they want to do, and you won’t be yelling at them about doing their homework. You have to help your child learn to prioritize, and accept the fact that just because they don’t want to do something doesn’t mean that they can put it off forever, or that if they put it off long enough, it will just disappear.
Once your child becomes a teenager, they have many things that they want to do, much more than work on their schoolwork. They may be involved in sports, music, or just like to spend time with their friends. It is great that they have outside interests, as long as they know how to handle them appropriately. If your child is old enough to use one, you might want to consider purchasing a planner each year when you buy school supplies, so that you child can easily keep track of assignments, due dates, and other important things. By writing everything down, there will be no room for the old excuses of I forgot, or the teacher didn’t tell us that.
Make certain that your child knows that you will be keeping in touch with their teachers to make certain that they are completing their assignments and turning everything in on time. You may also have to create a rule about homework and grades, something to the effect of slipping grades mean no more extracurricular activities until the grades improve. Also, make certain that you don’t over schedule your child. As parents, we want our children to be involved in sports, dance, cheerleading, etc., but you have to keep it realistic. If you start to feel overwhelmed by all of the events your child is in each week, then odds are pretty high that your child is stressed out as well, and it may be time to eliminate a few activities. Don’t wait for your child to tell you it is too much, as they often won’t say anything out of fear of disappointing you.
If your child comes home with a big project due for school, make certain that you help him. You can help him break down the one large project into smaller tasks that can be completed each day, so that everything gets done on time, and so it doesn’t end up being a last minute, rushed job that will end up getting a bad grade. You may even want to try to be completed a few days ahead of schedule, just in case something unexpected comes up, and your child is unable to work on the project. Let your child know that procrastinating when it comes to large projects, whether in school or later in their careers, can set them up to fail, and that it is important that they understand and stay focused on getting the task completed.
So, it may not be easy to get your child to break the procrastination habit, but it really is essential, if you want them to be successful academically, and later, professionally.
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