Parent Involvement

Answer 1

Parent involvement is crucial to a child's success; however, it can also deprive your child of important social lessons. Know when to help out and when to bow out. Here are some pointers.

1. Get involved with homework. One of the best ways you can implement parental involvement is during homework time. While you should help your children understand their work, you should not do the work for them. Use demonstrations with real-life situations and objects if the child has a problem grasping the concept.

2. Read to your child daily. Educators and scientists have long stated that the best thing any parent can do for their child is to read to them daily when they are young. If you have an older child, encourage them to read and buy them popular books. Don't think of books as gifts. Books are learning materials. They can never have enough.

3. Be the parent who watches from afar and helps Behind the Scenes. Every group needs a leader, not a dozen leaders. Demanding face time with your child's activity leader and insisting you have input when a curriculum is already in place will only hinder your child's group as a whole. Remember that the activity was designed for the children, not as a place for you to gain attention or prove yourself.

4. Also, don't settle your differences with leaders by destroying your child's team or group. Many parents decide they can lead their child's team or group better than the current leader, so they abandon the group mid-season in a vain attempt to start their own team. Again, it's not about you. Things like this only make it difficult on the children.

5. Accept that your child may not be the best. Every parent likes to think their child can walk on water, but the truth is that there are only a few kids who can be the star of the team. While every child should be allowed to play, accept that any coach will play their best player as much as possible. Don't deprive your child of real-life experiences and learning situations just so they can strike out a few balls and ruin the team's record.

There are many ways parents can help in schools and after-school activities, but let the leader or teacher decide where you are needed. And, above all, behave yourself.