Photo credits to Gustavo Fring on Pexels
With summer right around the corner, children and teenagers are tempted to slack off towards the end of the school semester. While teachers urge students to finish strong, many kids ignore this. This can cause their motivation to decrease and their grades to drop, especially with finals season coming soon. So what can you do if you find your child struggling to trudge through these last few weeks of school? Motivation may be the easy answer, but there are other ways to encourage your child!
Getting Involved
Getting involved in your child’s academic career can be rewarding for both you and your child, allowing them to become more comfortable with bringing up struggles, and teaching you ways to teach your child in a way that benefits them.
Reinforcing Accountability and Effort
Keeping them accountable with their grades, while also rewarding them for their effort, will keep them motivated to continue doing well in their classes. By keeping them accountable with their grades, you can establish a relationship of trust with your child, while also making sure they avoid slacking off. Rewarding them for their good grades will inspire them to continue those good grades and will let them know that you notice their good work and efforts. It’s perfectly fine for them to make mistakes, but urge them to stay consistent in their studies.
Listening, Patience, and Understanding
If your child is struggling in a particular subject, be patient with them and spend extra time working on that subject through tutoring or at-home aids. Some subjects can be extra difficult to learn and adapt to, so listen to what your kid needs help with and be willing to give them that time, patience, and understanding. Make sure you are actively listening to your child and letting them think, feel, and express themselves. This allows them to indulge in their other hobbies and understand that academics is not their entire life, but it is their responsibility.
Caring for Their Needs
Finals are the most important time of the school year, and they can be pretty intimidating for most students, so show patience and understanding during this stressful time for them. During this time, your kids will be more tired than ever with all the stresses pile up. Make sure they are taking care of their other needs: food, hydration, and sleep. All of these things play a factor into how they will perform during the day!
As a parent, it’s important to encourage your child and listen, while also using healthy reinforcements to ensure they can keep up with their tasks and responsibilities. After the school year is over, enjoy a summertime treat with your kid as a way to celebrate being free from the hassle of school and to remind them that all hard work pays off!
