The school year has just begun which can be a nerve wracking time for children and parents alike. Harry, our youngest started school for the first time this week and children do settle quickly into their new routines, but each year it’s a good idea to get them excited to learn again. Starting them off at home will mean they have the best start when they get to school. Here’s how you can do it:
Build Up A Strong Book Collection
Building up a strong book collection can get your children interested in reading stories, as well as learning about a variety of subjects. You should make reading material easily accessible to them. Both our boys love ‘Room on the broom‘ at the moment. Next week it’ll be something else. Build up a strong book collection with lots of different books. Even start your own library! Have magazines they can read too. Read to them from a young age and get them to read to you. If you specifically want them to learn about school at this time, you can read them stories about that. There are so many resources online you can let them learn with too. Things like Hawkin’s Bazaar Killer gadgets quiz can even be educational. Have fun with it!
Share Your Passion With Them
You don’t necessarily want your children to share your passion. After all, they are individual and should get a sense of what they like and don’t like themselves. However, there’s nothing wrong with telling them about your passion, and letting them see you get excited about it. For example, my passion is photography and often show and teach my boys how to use a camera and take a good photo which they enjoy. They’ll learn from you, and they might even begin to follow your lead. Dylan our oldest is already taking some impressive photos. Answer their questions honestly, and let them watch you or get involved if possible.
Work On Their Natural Interests
Have an idea of what your kid’s natural interests might be? If you really listen to them and watch them, then you should. Find ways to encourage them. If they like writing, maybe buy them a cool gadget like a typewriter. You could even just buy them a fancy book and pen to write with. If they are interested in things like gardening and bugs, buying them tools for the garden would be a great idea.
Don’t Be Too Pushy
Although you want to encourage your child to get excited and excel, make sure you’re not too pushy. Pushy parents can put unnecessary pressure on kids, and make them feel stressed out. This sucks all of the fun out of any activity, and can even make them develop psychological problems without you realising it. Make sure you encourage them in a healthy way.
Avoid Giving Rewards
Giving rewards occasionally can be OK, but giving rewards for things like reading and doing homework isn’t recommended. This can take the focus off the task at hand and make them focus too much on the reward. In essence, it can actually suck the fun out of doing something that helps you learn just because you want to. If you want to reward them, you could do so with a film or something.
Develop A Great Morning Routine With Them
When your kids have a great morning routine, they tend to have a better day. Getting them up at a consistent time and developing a fun and productive morning routine will ensure a brilliant day at school!
