Parenting Your School Age Child

 

Last month I began a three month series on parenting children for success in school by giving tips on what to do before they get into Kindergarten. Here are my suggestions for parenting your children through elementary school.

 

Put on a pair of rose colored glasses. If you have unhappy memories of your time at school, set aside those feelings if you want your off-spring to have a better experience. Your child's teacher had a dream of being a good teacher, went to college for at least 4 years to learn how to be effective, and continues to get professional training. He or she honestly wants your son or daughter to succeed. Think of the school system and all your kids' teachers as your friends.

 

Put on elephant ears. Find out what's happening. Make it a point to listen three layers deep. When you ask, "What happened at school today?" the typical answer will be "Nothing!" This is far from the truth. So much has happened that your child does not know what to say or where to begin. Ask again in a different way, and don't stop until your child comes out with two or three "things".

 

Extend a guiding hand. Introduce yourself to the teacher right away. Check out the papers your child brings home. Make sure you know what the homework assignments are. If your child tends to forget, ask the teacher how you can find out. Cheerfully help with difficult assignments. Look all assignments over when they are done. Go to all parent teacher conferences. Make personal contact in between, if you have questions.

 

Create a time space bubble for doing homework. This also means limiting the TV watching time of the whole family. It is hard for kids to do homework, if someone else is relaxing and laughing in front of the TV. Do your own homework instead: balance the check book, catch up on your reading, or write a letter.

 

Show your child the rainbow. Get your son or daughter into sports. Gymnastics and martial arts will have a great impact on their ability to succeed in school. Music or dance lessons are of equal importance and will also help make them better students. Introduce them to the great outdoors through scouting or some other programs.

 

Have fun! Make a game of doing flash cards. Let your children read jokes and comics (reserve the right to select them). Introduce them to Mad-Libs. Play Scattergories and Scrabble.

 

Always accentuate the positive!





Dr. Greene is an ordained minister of the United Church of Christ and a resident of Richmond, IN. He is also the author of Feeling Better: The Wisdom of the Doc, You Can Feel Better: How to cope with chronic pain and physical disabilities, and co-author of Walking Free: the Nellie Zimmerman Story.


For further information about his books, please visit www.densmorereid.com

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