Four simple ingredients can make any child more successful in school.
First comes support. Young people need to know that someone is in their corner. They can be successful if they feel that someone cares deeply about whether they succeed or fail, and if someone is proud of their successes and their efforts.
Second is having boundaries and expectations.
Children need adults who act like adults.
Parents who are firm and loving have children who do better at school, feel more self-confident, and get into less trouble than children whose parents are either too strict or too lenient.
Third is empowerment. All people need to know they make a difference.
Encourage children to provide service to others. Make sure they take part in school, community, or religious organizations that give them the chance to serve and contribute.
And fourth is constructive use of time. After school, children still need to be involved in constructive activities. Research shows that children who watch more than 10 hours of TV per week are less successful in school than those who watch less.
So be sure young people have challenging and interesting activities to do after they leave the classroom each day.
These four elements — support; boundaries and expectations; empowerment; and constructive use of time — have proven to make a big difference in a child’s success at school and in life.
