*Disclaimer: Please take all advice as generic information that can be used for information purposes, each family and child is unique, therefore different aspects of this blog would evidently be applied differently in each situation.*
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1. Reduce the time your child spends on the TV, iPad, mobile phone and computer.
Electronic devices many children use are highly addictive, students shouldn't spend more than 2 hours a day on electronic devices however many parents use them as an easy way to keep their child occupied, this can be dangerous and is already starting to create a generation of children who can't concentrate and have no desire to learn. It's best to use these devices as a secondary or tertiary form of entertainment, rather than a primary source of entertainment. Helping to reduce the time your child spends on these devices can make a huge positive impact in their educational and social development.
The average child in the UK spends at least 3-4 hours a day on electronic devices with extreme examples of children spending up to 7 hours a day on electronic devices, meaning the most important period of their life, where they should be learning and developing neural circuits that will last a lifetime is being wasted, it's a tragedy that's affecting the world, not just our nation however it's something all parents in the UK can help to reduce and in most cases avoid.
If parents understood the full extent of the damage caused by using these devices extensively on a social, developmental and physical level they'd make extreme efforts to avert the crisis caused when key skills and social norms expected of their child appear to be clearly absent.
This topic was chosen first for a particular reason as we believe it's one of the most important and below we've offered a series of feasible solutions that many parents can use to help ensure their child is learning and entertained at the same time.
2. Encourage your child to read for one hour a day.
Encouraging your child to read for at least an hour a day, will be of huge benefit to them and help them a lot more than you could imagine. Reading improves vocabulary, punctuation and spelling. Reading is also great to improve concentration and English skills in general. Reading promotes creativity and is a much healthier way to learn instead of constantly sitting on a glaring screen for hours on end every day. Reading is also good for adults and can be used for family bonding, if you currently read on a weekly basis encourage your child to read with you and discuss what you've read together.
3. Encourage your child to get in the habit of studying for one hour a day.
This isn't a long period of time at all and when you compare an hour to the time children spend on electronic devices, you'll find it seems almost insignificant. If your child is four you can still teach them how to count and read basic words. Children can understand these concepts and patterns from as young as three years old, so playing with them and making a counting game, with toys for example can be very good for your child's development.
*Just imagine how your child would be if they dedicated 1/16th of the day to learning by themselves or with a peer.*
Here are some ways you can help your child study every day without starting war in the home:
1. Reward them for their hard work.
2. Set up a study group with their friends, it's free and I'm sure something many parents in your local area or school would be keen to start.
3. Find a local tutor
4. Make a study plan
5. Work with your child
6. Consider online tutoring
4. Get your child into a hobby, anything that interests them, sport, art and IT are all examples of things children can do from a young age.
Not all children are academic, if you've made a significant effort to help them in their studies and they don't seem receptive to learning it would be a great idea to find something they enjoy can be a major step in helping them find a hobby, your child could be highly talented in something else. Ask your child their interests and act on it, find them a club, course or friend who shares the same interests as them.
5. Don't underestimate your child by saying they're too young, start pushing your child from a young age.
Many children are capable of learning from a very young age, doing some work with them, helps your child get used to learning and concentrating from an early age.
Teach your child instead of giving them the tablet or phone, they'll grow up to love learning instead of loving the phone or tablet. Encourage them to do some independent work instead of sitting in front of the TV for hours.
Children pick up social norms from a very young age, it’s a part of how a child develops as they grow up. A child would have no problem reading, if they were told to read or study for an hour every day growing up, however the main problem is children aren’t taught to do these, so when they reach the adolescent age, it seems almost unreasonable to many students to even ask them to do the slightest bit of work at home, with the primary argument they’ve been learning all day at school, coupled with tired parents who’ve been working hard all day, there’s a strong mix of educational disaster which tastes extremely bitter when drunk.
Up to a third of GCSE students fail their GCSEs, if many of these children had these small, simple practices from a young age, it’s likely this crisis would be averted. Although there are multiple failures in the educational system, that contribute to this huge proportion of students failing, it’s certain this percentage would be dramatically reduced if we all made an individual effort to help and support them more with their education from a very early stage.
Parents say children should be able to have fun, and yes the primary aim and goal of a child is to enjoy life, like it should be for people of all ages, however each child has a job, and that’s to be the best they can be in every aspect, not just academic, to help create good citizens so a society can function.
I don’t believe a child doing an hour’s revision or reading a day would really ruin their childhood, in fact, I believe most children would grow up into reasonable adults and thank their parents for enforcing that practice from a young age.
6. Healthy eating
Eating healthily should be one of the most important things you ensure your child is doing, sadly this area is badly underestimated by parents and careers. Ensuring your child has a healthy diet and is healthy, supports learning and development. Healthy food will ensure proper brain development and ensure your child stays energetic and active during the day. Healthy eating is good for your child’s immune system and overall health and should be one of the primary concerns for all parents. Giving your child a healthy diet will allow them to learn more efficiently and achieve more tasks throughout the day.
7. Take time out to spend quality time.
Spending quality time with your child is vital in a child’s early development, it's good for family bonding and promotes confidence and security, which is essential for a child’s mental development and learning as they grow up.
If you think spending quality time with your child isn’t important than then I’d strongly recommend a swift revaluation.
8. Take an interest in your child's friends and hobbies.
Taking an interest in your child’s friends and hobbies is important for their social development, ensuring your child has a balanced lifestyle is one of the keys to success and can actually improve learning performance.
9. Social balance
This ties in closely with friends and hobbies however the reason it’s been given it’s separate category as there’s other ways to socialise instead of friends or hobbies, work being an example, however if we’re talking specifically regarding the children religion, culture, living standards and area codes can all effect ones social balance as they effect social interaction. Discretion should therefore be used when deciding how you’d ensure a healthy social balance for your child.
10. Teach your child skills from a young age
Teaching your child a skill from a young age is good for many different reasons, some of the main ones being it’s a great confidence booster, it’s good for their cognitive development and having a skill at a young age can be useful for employment or just day to day life.
I hope you found this useful, remember to comment, share and like. If you require a private tutor, online tutor, centre tuition in London or a mentor, then contact us via our website and we’ll be able to assist you, if you already know about us and would like to get going right away, simply book here.
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