How to Motivate Your Child to Do The Very Best in School

Anyone who says that school is easy must have forgotten what going to school is really like.  Yes, school can be easier than a job, but it can also be just as hard .  Children need to know why school is so important.  But in addition, children need to know that their parents value school and their children also.  Here are some suggestions on how a parent can break the barriers that make a child hate school and create the stepping stones that make a child want to go to school and do his or her very best.

1. Acknowledge that school is hard.  Do not make your child feel as if he or she is being overly dramatic about long days, boring lectures, too much homework, and annoying teachers/fellow students.  Sure, do not allow your child to live in the pity pool.  But listen to your child and discuss how sometimes your job/life is not perfect either. Still, you must go everyday and fulfill your responsibilities.  Be sure to tell your child that what helps you make it through the day is to know that you get to come home and talk with him or her.  Finally, tell your child that you are here for him to her to come to after a long day at school to vent their frustrations and share their successes.
2. Be aware.  Write your child’s schedule out on a piece of paper and post it where you will always see it.  Include the classes, the periods, the teachers, and even leave a space next to each class for important memos to remember such as next test date, the due date for the research paper, etc.  Even putting a star next to the class that your child loves, despises, or is having a hard time in will allow you to be aware of how your child is doing.
3. This awareness will give you the information to be more informed.  Ask your child more specific questions than, ” How was your day?” or “Did you have a good day?”  Rather, being aware of your child’s schedule will give you the necessary knowledge to ask more detailed questions like “Hey, how did that Algebra test go today?” or “Did your teacher help you with that tough history assignment?”  These more specific questions will give you, the parent, better answers than just “It was okay.”, or “Yeah, I had a good day.”  Most importantly, your child will be encouraged to talk with you about his or her education.  
4. Take action when needed.  If you feel that your child is not receiving enough help from the teacher, is getting bullied by other students, is having a hard time in a class, or is not bringing home any homework, do something about it.  Do not be shy or worried to cause trouble.  Remember that you and your child are like the customer, and the school is providing a service to you.  As a result, you have every right to call the school, contact the teacher, and/or request a conference to discuss the problem/concern.  
5. Have a realistic view of your child.  If your child gives you a bad attitude at home, then realize that he or she may just to the same at school.  Yes, as a parent, you should always give your son/daughter the benefit of the doubt in any situation.  But it is counterproductive to come to a conference with a defensive response about what may be said about your child.  Listen to both your child’s side of the story and also to the teacher’s side of the story.  Then ask this question of both your child and the teacher, “What can be done to solve this issue and make learning in this class better for the both of you?”  Then as a parent, make a commitment to both the teacher and your child to make sure this solution is followed through.  This approach lets both the teacher and your child know that you care, are fair, want to solve this problem in the best way, and will be committed to staying involved.
6. Praise! Praise! Praise!  When your child aces a Geometry exam, celebrate this achievement.  But also when your child brings home a progress report showing a C letter grade where there used to a D, celebrate this victory. Tell your child that as long as he or she has done her best, then you are proud of him or her as a student.  
7. Separate the love and pride you feel for your child from the pride and expectations you have for him or her as a student.  Many times students feel that if they do not well in school, their parents will be so disappointed in them that the love will somehow go away.  As a parent , you must tell your child that the love you feel for him or her has nothing to do with how well he or she does in school.  You will love him or her no matter what.  But you do have expectations for you him or her to give their very best to their studies.  In addition, you are here to support and give your help as a parent.
8. Create a quiet and positive home environment.  Make sure your child has a special spot in the home where he or she can do his or her homework with little distractions.  Also, make the time to review the homework.  Even if you do not understand  the material that your child is learning, you will at least be aware of the material your child is learning.  
9. Create and encourage stress free mornings.  If your child does not wake up late, rush around getting ready, shove something down his or her throat for breakfast, or has an argument with you or a sibling, then your child will be able to enter the school gates with a clear head, a positive outlook, and a happy mind.  But if these things do happen in the hour or two before going to school, is it right or even possible to expect your child to be able to put all of that stress out of his or her thoughts in order to start learning about the correct way to find a square root of a number?  Of course not.  That is why home life is essential to school achievement.
10. Learn the lessons as you go.  As a parent, you are still learning too.  Take each lesson you learn from your child and his or her school experiences to help you adapt to the ever changing world of education and be even a better parent to your child.

In the end, these 10 steps will help your child do his or her best in school.  However, these 10 steps will do something even more powerful:  These steps will build a stronger relationship between your child and you because of the time, attention, and devotion you put into your child’s life.