Helping your child grow and learn
You are the key to your child learning the life
skills needed to be successful in school and in adult life. You provide the setting for
your child to learn that he is responsible for himself; that she can do what is hard to
do; that everything will not be handed to him, but that he will have to earn them; that
she will feel good when she accomplishes her goals through her own efforts; that life can
be fun as well as work; and that loving and sharing are a very important part of what
families do.
BUILD A HEALTHY FOUNDATION so that your child starts life and
emotionally healthy:
Make sure that each day your child eats balanced and nourishing foods--protein (fish,
beans, meat, chicken), grains (bread, rice, cereals, pastas), fresh vegetables and fruits,
and milk (or milk alternative). Make sure she sleeps enough and gets the physical
exercise she needs each day. She needs to be ready for a full day of activities.
Appreciate him as a unique individual. Help him learn to like himself, feel good about
what he can do and the kind of person he is--without comparing him with other children.
This helps develop his self-esteem and helps him understand that he is a capable,
responsible individual. Learn to value yourself. When you can appreciate yourself
for what you can do and who you are, it makes it easier to be a role model for your child.
EXPAND THE FOUNDATION by spending time with your child having fun
and doing things together......and learning together.
Play together. Family outings, such
as going to the beach or park, enrich your child's experience. Games are fun and can be
educational aswell, especially when adults play, too.
Work together. You and your child both benefit when daily
activities--yard work, shopping, cooking, working on the car, doing home repairs--become
shared activities.
Talk together. Discuss what you've both been doing. Let her know how you
handled an unpleasant or unsuccessful situation -- she needs a model to learn from and she
needs to know how you handle bad days. Talk about ideas, talk about dreams, talk about
everyday happenings at school or at work. But, no judgments or negative comments, please!
ADD TO THE FOUNDATION by letting your child develop a sense of
responsibility and by helping him learn from the world around him.
Let your child begin making his own decisions at an
early age. Make sure the decisions are within limits that fit his age and which you have
set. Don't shield your child from the consequences of his own actions, his own decisions;
help him understand how his decisions affect what happens afterwards-- If he's late
because of his own behavior, let him be late and then talk about the result..... what the
consequences were. If he keeps forgetting his lunch, tell him that you will not
bring it to school the next time -- and stick to it! He will not starve to death! If
he has not done his homework, don't make excuses for him. Discuss things with your
child. She needs help in interpreting the meaning of what she sees and experiences and you
are the one who can help her understand. Don't assume she understands -- check to see if
she does. Help him to see the connection between school and life. You take such
connections for granted, but your child may not be aware of the everyday applications of
learning unless you point them out. Take advantage of home activities to point out
how math is necessary to double a recipe and useful in calculating how to saw a piece of
wood to fit a particular space; how reading is needed to follow directions, etc. Talk with
your child about what she's watching on TV. Talk to your child about the difference
between real life and what's on the screen so that fantasy doesn't become reality in her
mind. You don't have to be negative about what she's watching, but keep reminding her that
the people she sees live and die on the screen take off their makeup at the end of the day
and go home to different lives.
BUILD FOR THE FUTURE by telling your child that you think education
is very, very important.
Send him to school every day; he cannot learn if he's
not there. If you don't care whether he goes to school, he won't either and school won't
be important. Stay in touch with his teacher so that he sees your interest in what he is
doing. Let her know that it is a "given" that she will graduate from high
school. Help her see that she needs at least a high school education and, probably,
additional training beyond that in order to have career choices with a future. Make sure
your child does his homework every day. Don't do it for him. He needs to work
independently, with your support. Practice with your child when he needs to memorize
spelling words, multiplication tables and other rote learning. Help him understand how
such information can be used in his everyday world. Make sure she knows that you
expect her to do well. Let her know you're concerned if she does not do as well as you
think she can--but do not ask for perfection.
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