Parents are the new tutors
Do you remember sitting at the dining room table at 10 o’clock on a school night with your parents, frustrated because you didn’t understand your homework? You’re probably nodding your head right now, let’s agree that its not an enjoyable experience for anyone. Read along to avoid repeating history!
1. Stay Positive!
Schools are teaching concepts differently than the way we learned it. When your child hands you homework completely unfamiliar to you, it’s not surprising if you find yourself getting frustrated. That frustration comes from wanting to help your child but not knowing how to. Kids look to adults as a guide and mirror those actions, so staying positive will show them a better way to react in this kind of situation. So when they approach you for help, show them that it’s okay not to understand everything and encourage them to keep on trying!
2. Slow down
There’s a reason your child is reaching out to you for help. It might be because the learning pace at school is a little too fast, or the teaching strategy at school isn’t best for your child. Setting the pace and figuring out the best learning method for your child at home is a great way to help your child catch up! Everyone learns differently, so if things just aren’t working, slow down and try some new strategies.
3. Be the Student
One great strategy is for you to be the student! This means try having your child teach you; chances are, the way they explain it to you is how they will understand your help the best. Plus, if they can fully explain it to you it means they understand the subject just fine!
4. You Know Best
At the end of the day, no one knows your child the way you do. Take what you know about your child and use it to help explain things to them. If they like a sport, show, game, or topic, you can find worksheets with that theme to get them excited about learning! There is something for everyone on the internet, so it won’t be hard to find something your child will enjoy. Plus, you know your child’s limits best and when to take a break, so use your knowledge about them to your advantage!
Learning is not a one size fits all situation, so even if it takes some time, just slow down and think about different ways to tackle the problem. Even if you don’t like the subject or were never really great at it, you are one of the best resources your child has.