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Tips on Keeping Your Child Focused This School Year

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September 6, 2011

Once the excitement of the new back to school year begins to ebb away; the new supplies become used; the clothes and uniforms all become worn how will you keep your child focused? How will you keep things from becoming too habitual? Here are some tips that will keep the excitement in the air and help your child/children develop positive focused habits that will stay with them for life.

Keep it fresh

Try not to give your child ever new back to school item you purchased at once. Instead, provide the new supplies/clothes over time or buy a couple of extra things so that this can be possible. It may just be a new pencil or pen; either way, this will help make the months and days to come more special.

Surprise them

Routines help offer consistency, but can become drab and mundane overtime. Try surprising your child with tokens or notes of love. Everyone wants to feel thought of in a positive way, even our children.

Encourage them

Success is always expected; however, for each child success will mean something slightly different. When you see them doing something right that makes you proud let them know. Also, if they need extra help in a certain area, find out and get them the help they need so moving forward they will not lag behind.

Review their homework

You want to be in the know when it comes to your child regardless of his or her age. Taking an active interest in what they are learning proves that you care. It also helps you spend quality time with him or her.

Eat together

We have heard the idiom you are what you eat. Think about that, what is your child? Establishing healthy meals, preparing menus, and cooking food together will help your child make better food choices. Children learn by example, so taking time to know exactly what is in their bodies will help to keep them from obesity and food related problems later on.

Exercise together

School can be stressful. In many ways, it is a precursor to work, so establishing fun fitness activities to help get their bodies moving, will help them alleviate stress and be more focused and content.

Get to know their friends

The saying goes, “birds of a feather flock together”, and your children’s choice of friends will say a lot about their characters. Their friends will either help propel them to success or lead them down a destructive path. Be observant, is your child a follower or a leader? Observing now will help you find ways to build your child’s confidence in front of others.

Get to know the faculty and staff at their schools.

Teachers will see them the most, but their bus driver, the school’s librarian, janitors, and others may see another side of your child: good or bad. Find out so that you can begin cultivating future citizens that are thoughtful and compassionate towards others. You will want to take heed to whether your child is the same person when he or she thinks no one is looking. In an age when bullying is popular, as parents we do not want our children on either end: administering or receiving.

Show Affection

Love alone is not just an adjective that describes. It is also an action verb, which motivates, hugs, kisses, smiles etc. Exemplify love towards your child. Empathize with your child so he or she knows you understand and care.

Make sure they stay ready for the days ahead

Now is the time to help them break or establish good habits. If you see procrastination creeping into your home encourage your children to complete assignments early, put things away, lay out their clothes the day before, and leave their back packs or school projects by the door ready for them to walk out the next morning.

This is a short list, but if you have more tips that you feel should be included, please share so we can help make other parent’s lives a little easier.

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