Parenting Smarter: Top Tips for the Busy Parent
The Caribbean STEM Coaching Club runs regular “Parents Helping Parents” problem-solving and knowledge-sharing ZOOM discussions on a wide range of topics. On 21 September 2024, parents shared their “Top Ten” perspectives on “Parenting Smarter: Tips for the Busy Parents”.
- Be very clear: in this system, you must provide extra support and guidance to your child. Being well-informed will save you time and money, and give you peace of mind. So ask, ask, and never stop asking – teachers, other parents, older students. How does the system work? What is the culture of the school? What are the habits of high achievers? What do their parents do to motivate and support them?
- Get the best possible school environment you can find. This lightens the heavy lifting of parenting. Be as visible as possible in the school – WhatsApp groups, PTA meetings, coffee morning, Parents’ Evenings. Be a school governor if you can. You will learn a lot.
- It helps when fathers, in particular, are visible and involved in the school.
- Develop warm and respectful relationships with the teachers. Be prepared for when problems arise and you may have to intervene. Find out what best practice looks like that would keep teachers onside even as you seek to resolve the problem.
- If you have doubts about your child’s progress, speak to the teacher. If you are still unsure, ask an independent subject specialist teacher to do diagnostics, identify gaps and develop a learning programme for your child.
- Learning ahead is one of the most effective pathways to excelling academically. Get syllabi in advance so you know what your child will be covering at school over the next few months. Factor in relevant conversations, videos, visits to museums, talks, and workshops at, e.g., the Royal Institution in everyday life. If you know nothing about a topic, Chat GPT or Microsoft Copilot should be able to give you a quick run-down so you could have intelligent conversations and debates with your child whilst say driving in the car or at the dinner table.
- Create good family routines at home and have a quiet, uncluttered space for study. Many parents find that children make better academic progress if they study in a library or on the kitchen/dining room table rather than in the child’s bedroom. Do not have the TV on in the home when it is time to study. Manage tech for the entire family – e.g., place all mobile phones in a container at say 8pm every night to minimise sleep disruptions.
- A strong foundation is critical – especially in Maths and English. Little and often typically works well. Make sure your child does a little Maths almost every day and that they read for an extended period before going to sleep. Many children make good progress in their primary years with Bond Maths, English, Verbal and Non Verbal Reasoning, Schofield Mental Arithmetic, and Schofield Spelling. There is a wide range of resources to choose from that support children’s learning at secondary school.
- Encourage 1 – 2 hours (depending on age) structured learning every day during the holidays. If you are too busy, ask older siblings, cousins, neighbours, other family members to step in to provide any necessary supervision. Or encourage your child to get a “study buddy”. Alternatively, can you find creative ways of supervising your child’s homework routine via ZOOM? If you decide to get a tutor, be thoughtful and choose wisely. Ensure that the tutor has the experience and know-how to tutor effectively so that your child develops into an organised, independent, and curious learner, well-equipped for lifelong learning in the years ahead.
- Through it all, it is very important to relax, enjoy your child, and encourage your child to relax and enjoy school and life. Doing extra-curricular activities they enjoy and excel at can often have a positive knock-on effect on their academics and their holistic well-being.
End. Penny Carballo-Smith, 26 September 2024