Four
simple ingredients can make any child achieve better in school. These elements
are easy to provide, and will help make your child more successful, and in
life.
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 is
proud of their successes and 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 provide service to others.
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.
So
be sure young people have challenging and interesting activities to do after
they leave the classroom each day.
These
four elements — support; expectations; empowerment; and constructive use of
time — have proven to make a big difference in a child’s success at school and
in life.
