Are Your Kids Struggling at School? Here’s How to Help
February 20, 2024
All parents want the best for their kids when it comes to their academic pursuits and their general school life. However, even with our best efforts, our children can occasionally run into obstacles that prevent them from making academic progress and thriving at school.
Seeing our children struggle can be absolutely heart breaking, whether it’s due to challenging coursework, social pressures, or difficulties with concentration. But fear not – there are a variety of tactics and methods you can use to give your little ones the assistance and direction they need to overcome these obstacles, all while keeping in mind their unique kid personality traits.
Identify the Problem
Finding the root of your child’s problems is the first step towards helping them through their academic struggles.
Is there a lack of understanding in a certain subject, like languages or mathematics? Do they struggle with time management or organization? Or might their performance be impacted by underlying emotional issues like anxiety or low self-esteem?
Talk to your child in an open and compassionate way to try and learn more about their worries and experiences. Talk to their teachers and school counsellors as well in order to get more information and get a clear picture of what’s going on.
Offer Support
Once you’ve figured out the problem and know what’s going on, it’s important that you as a parent provide them with the support, tools, and resources they need to overcome their obstacles.
This could mean giving them extra help with their schoolwork, setting up tutoring sessions for subjects where they need more support, or looking into different learning strategies catered to their specific needs.
On top of this, make sure that you encourage open communication and offer emotional support so that your child feels comfortable to ask for help and voice their problems without worrying about being judged or criticised.
Work with Teachers
Getting into close contact with your kid’s teachers and other school personnel plays a big role in developing the right strategies for supporting their growth and improvement.
Try to establish regular contact with teachers to go over your child’s progress, areas that need attention, and any extra help or accommodations that would be helpful. You should also ensure to attend school functions and parent-teacher conferences to hear about your child’s academic progress and learn what their school life is like.
Promote Balance
Even though you might be concerned about your child’s grades, it’s important not to push them too hard. Keeping a healthy balance between academic pursuits and personal well-being is important for their health as well as their academic success.
Encourage extracurricular activities, after-school sports, spending time with their friends, and engaging in other fun and creative hobbies that can help take their minds off school from time to time. Focus on what seems to make them happy and relaxed, and ensure that they’re getting a healthy dose of rest too. Children can feel stress just as acutely as we do, so managing that is an important part of your job as a parent.