10 vital decisions on your children’s education
Children and Education
Being a parent means making a lot of decisions for your children and their education, ranging from every day (what to eat, when to bath, when to sleep, etc.) to the essential decisions (what kind of skills to learn to, which doctor to go to, etc.). Some of these choices result in lifelong consequences and could potentially affect your children’s future career and development.
The same effects are evident when you make decisions about your children’s educational journey. While some choices are minor, others have significant impacts on their education and future. Some decisions disguise themselves as small matters but in fact, has a crucial impact on your children’s lives.
Below are 10 vital decisions that you may want to take note of.
Sending your children to reputable preschools
Most parents believe in preschool and will send their children to a reputable preschool once they are of age. There are, however, some parents who prefer to take care of their children at home up to formal schooling age before sending them to school. The decision is important because it affects your children’s learning pace and their ability to socialise at a young age. Preschool is a critical part of your children’s education as it teaches them social skills, reading, mathematics and writing skills as well as the knowledge of pacing themselves when they start school formally.
Choosing to leave your children with other adults
One of the reasons that some parents do not want to send their children to preschool is the notion that they should not leave their children with other adults at a young age. They believe that home care is the best care. If you think this way, it might be worth examining your thoughts on a deeper level and asking yourself if it is your struggle of leaving your children with other adults that scare you off from preschool. It is vital to examine your thoughts before making the final decision.
Your children’s literacy skills
You may not realise that your everyday decisions can affect your children’s literacy skills. The rise of the Internet and the many appealing apps on tablets and smartphones have made children extremely reliant on these gadgets. As a result, their literacy skills may suffer by the time they reach the third grade in school if they are not reading enough. Therefore, you must check and ensure that your children’s literacy skills are up to standard. Help them achieve it easily by scheduling at least 30 minutes of reading each day.
Watching out for your teenagers
As your children grow, they naturally drift further away from you as they enter middle school. At this age, it is easier for them to stray and pick up bad habits. As parents, it is crucial for you to watch out for your children constantly. As they grow and gain attraction for the opposite gender, it is easy for them to neglect their studies, or to follow bad habits from the person they fancy. Restricting their social circles is not a perfect idea, so be a friend instead and let your teenagers know that you are always ready to catch them if they fall.
Choosing the right courses
There are different programmes in various international schools, and it is essential to weigh the pros and cons of each course to see how it fits with your children’s learning ability. The choice will affect your children’s future, so, help your children to choose wisely instead of blindly following their friends’ preferences.
Talking to your children about career choices
Before choosing a high school, it might do a world of good to your children if you would sit them down and talk to them about career choices. The earlier that you start this conversation, the better it is for your children to think things through. As this decision is going to affect your children’s career and life, it is highly recommended that you find the right time to broach the topic to your children and get them onboard with you by stressing the importance of career choices.
Children and Education: Helping your children select suitable high school
It is not easy to select high schools which work perfectly for your children and their career choices and hence, much work and efforts need to be put in. It is vital to sit down with your children as they approach the time of selection and find out what exactly they want out of their high school life. It is crucial for your children to understand what they are looking for, and for you to assist them to choose the right school. This will probably have the biggest impact on their lives, and there shouldn’t be any doubts by the time the choice is made.
Supporting your children’s choices emotionally
It is possible that your children’s choices may not resonate with yours in higher education. If your child has a potential or talent in a particular field, such as music or art, it would be ideal if you could nurture his or her interest and grow the talent. It is a crucial decision for you to make because supporting your children’s choices could be the best thing you ever did for them. By giving them your support, they can build their skills confidently and excel in their chosen path.
Supporting your children emotionally
The unpredictable future for high school is another cause for concern for many parents. While it is almost certain that your children will graduate from high school as long as they put in their utmost efforts, there are times when circumstances make it impossible for them to graduate on time, or to graduate at all. If you face such an unfortunate situation, it is of great comfort to your children if you will support them emotionally and encourage them to continue learning, one way or another. It does set the tone for their management of disappointment and failure, as well as to build their resilience in life.
Supporting college life
When your children make it to college, do not relax just yet. Encourage them to find a mentor that works in their chosen career field. Having a mentor gives your children bigger accountability towards their work and attitude towards success and helps them to learn from someone working in their chosen industry. Get them to work during the summer holidays too, as it helps to introduce them to working life. By looking for a holiday job in their chosen career field, they can also make the right contacts within the industry and hopefully, securing a good job before they graduate.
By Zerlina Zhuang
