Bringing up a child properly is no easy task. Not only do you have to look after them but you have to teach them to look after themselves. When it comes to education, of course, the task can become even trickier. If you have a boy with his head in the clouds and very little interest in the rigid structure of school, you might struggle to get him to study properly for tests or even more ‘serious’ essays and exams as he gets older and enters high school or college.
Still, there is a way to help your son study more effectively, as a parent. The key is to stop berating and start motivating your child. Nobody wants to be forced to do anything; they have to come to the realization that something is important by themselves. That’s your role as the parent; you need to be guiding your boy towards understanding that studying is vitally important to their future. If you want some tips to help you berate a little less and motivate a little more, then here are just a few pointers.
Talk to your son and his teacher.
The first step is communication. You need to start by talking to your son, as making assumptions about his reasoning for losing focus or interest in homework and studying is frivolous. The best way to help motivate your boy is to understand why he’s not motivated at the moment. Talk to him, and understand why he’s unengaged with particular assignments or the task of revision. Maybe he just doesn’t understand something or maybe he thinks there’s no point to homework. Whatever the reason, find out why your boy thinks a certain way and try to either help him directly with his studying or explain why his studying is so important.
Once you have some sort of idea as to why your son is disinterested in studying, it’s key that you then talk to his teacher. You should schedule an appointment to discuss this matter with the person responsible for educating your son. If your boy feels unchallenged by work, you should be seeing if the school can challenge him more. If your boy is struggling with work, you should be ensuring that his teacher or the school is doing more to help him understand the work. Ensuring that they understand your boy’s situation is important.
Creative forms of learning.
Sometimes, the reason a child may become disinterested in studying is because it seems stale or uninventive. Your boy may have a very creative mind, and, when that creative mind is locked away, they lose their focus, engagement and passion. That’s why you should be looking for ways in which you could make studying a particular subject fun for your son. You could consider unique approaches such as GradeBuddy exam flash cards, as some children are visual learners. You could also consider spider diagrams to help your child compartmentalize sections of a certain subject and have fun coloring or drawing as they do so. There are so many different ways to learn a subject than simply flicking through a textbook, and your boy might find that information sticks if he opts for a more creative approach to learning.
Set a good example, and don’t force studying.
At the end of the day, it’s your duty to set a good example as the parent, and that means guiding your boy towards the answer without forcing studying. Instead of pressuring your son to study, which might lead him to resent the “chore”, you should be enforcing the benefits of doing so; feeling proud by getting good grades or perhaps receiving a treat from you for your hard work. You need to make studying appealing, rather than commanding your child to do it.
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