Positive education
Taking an interest in your child’s education can bring both of you great rewards as your child grows. By taking an active role in your child’s journey through school, you will be there to celebrate their achievements and provide support during difficult moments.
Early engagement will play a role in the overall education of your child and their relationship with learning. From a young age, reading to them at night or drawing with them will help develop their skills and nurture their relationship with you. Showing more support at home means that your child is well placed to thrive in school and in work.
Providing positive support
With toddlers, you can read to them, colour with them or introduce them to new toys that will help strengthen their skills, such as Lego and building blocks.
When your child is in school, it’s important to take an active interest. You can do this by:
- Showing interest in their homework, even if it’s just asking them if they need help or offering to read it when they’ve finished.
- Let them hear you praise them.
- Be vocal about how proud you are when they bring home school reports or results on their work.
- Encourage them to join after school clubs and activities, especially if you’ve identified a strength such as a sport. This will help them make friends and associate learning, education and physical activities with something positive.
- It’s important to remember that talents lie across all kinds of subjects, not only the traditional core subjects such as English and Maths.
As your child gets older, they might start to figure out what they’re good at but might need some extra encouragement, so make sure you provide extra support. For example, your child might love food tech class in school, so ask them for help to cook at home. Given them some responsibility will make them feel appreciated and important.
If you can, try to give them positive role models, whether this is someone close to them or a celebrity they can admire. These influences can help guide them as they try to navigate through the challenges of growing up and figuring out their future.
Ask them what they enjoy and talk about their goals so that the future isn’t so scary, but more an exciting prospect allowing them to reach their potential and live happy lives.
Many parents lead busy lives, looking after families while juggling jobs, finances and other responsibilities. It can seem difficult to find the extra time to engage with your child’s education, but even ten minutes a day can make a substantial difference to your child’s outlook on learning.
Positive school interaction
- When it comes to your child’s school, make sure to always ask your child if they have any letters to give you.
- Make sure to read all letters and school correspondence so that you’re as informed as possible.
- Try to attend school events when you can. Informal events such as BBQs and school fairs are a great way to get involved and show interest, as well as making sure you’re a familiar face among teachers and other parents.
Make sure to talk to teachers when you can and develop your understanding of your child’s progress. While it might seem like you only need to talk to teachers on during parents evening or disciplinary meetings, it’s always a good thing to build relationships with those who interact with your child evert day.
Reaching breaking point
While most parents hope they’ll never reach breaking point, feeling out of your depth is nothing to be ashamed of. While many people don’t like asking for help, it might just be what you need to start turning your life around.
Reaching breaking point does not mean that you’re a failure or less of a parent than others and asking for help is not a weakness. If anything, accessing support could be the lifeline you need to get your family life back on track, and taking action is better than doing nothing at all.
If despite your best efforts to maintain a happy, healthy relationship with your child and they are exhibiting issues and problems that are unmanageable, there is plenty of local support available to parents across the Merthyr Tydfil area through Information, Advice and Assistance (IAA).
No parent can be around their child 24/7, and it can be tricky to understand the factors that are contributing to their behaviour. Discuss any issues with your child’s school, so that their teachers can monitor any behavioural changes or disruption to their school life.
You can also reach out to family and friends for their advice. Many of them may have been in similar situations but also been afraid to discuss it and might have plenty of productive advice to give.
How to access support and what’s next
If you’re struggling to deal with family issues, don’t wait to ask for help. You can access support through an appointed social worker, who help your family overcome obstacles and act as a sounding board for any issues you might be facing.
While many people hear the word “social worker” and assume the worst, social workers have a variety of responsibilities and aren’t only there to remove a child from their home, which is often a last resort in extreme cases.
A social worker will get to know your family, identify your needs and help you overcome difficulties in your home life. They will provide an unbiased shoulder to cry on and give you the help you need to get your family life on track.
You can access support by using the Merthyr Tydfil Information, Advice and Assistance (IAA) which will help you find nearby help and advice and provide resources to help you on your journey to a more rewarding, positive parenting experience.
Further information