We all want to support our children in all the things that they do in life, that’s our role as parents. One of the main areas that we need to do this is in their educational lives. Much of their childhood is dominated by formal schooling, along with learning about the world around them every single day of their lives. We want them to thrive, we want them to enjoy learning and we want to see them happy and successful in their chosen careers. This is why today we are sharing the 4 stages of supporting your child educationally.
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The preschool years
Research has shown that the first five years are especially important for a child’s development and education. Children discover so much about the world and their abilities in these first few years.
You are likely to be very supportive in these years and aware of every single aspect of your child’s day. You know it all, from how long they have slept (often down to the minute!) through to how many vegetables they have eaten. You might be with them all of the time, helping them to learn and grow, or you might be working closely with their daycare.
The hands-on days
When choosing your first schools, you are going to be seeking a warm and safe environment for your child, along with a good education. These early days in school are very hands-on and you are likely to be invited to the school so that you can support the learning that they do there.
There will probably be daily or weekly homework and you will work alongside your child. Reading is key at this age, both listening to your child read and reading aloud to them daily.
You will also be helping your child to build their first social circle without you on hand all of the time. You will need to offer advice on how to handle relationships, manage conflict and assert your own opinions.
Growing independence
By the time your child reaches high school, they know the drill. They are used to the routine of school, they are starting to understand the social aspects of their education and they can work independently.
By this stage, they are probably traveling to school without you, have made their group of friends without any play dates needed, and their homework is something that they get on with alone.
Your support here will likely be partly academic and largely emotional. Be there to alleviate the stresses of the teen years and growing educational pressures.
Moving on
The final stage is when your child is ready to move on from high school.
Maybe you will be helping them to choose the right college course, you might be looking into DJ classes, programs, and schools for your child or they might want to attend classes and colleges specializing in medicine.
When you reach this stage of education with your children, your role has changed considerably from those preschool days. Your child needs to be leading now, this is their time to move on to be independent.
This is not to say that you are no longer needed, your input here is likely to be invaluable to them if you have built a strong relationship with them. Your role here is to support them and ensure that they know that you will always be there as they learn to fly without you.
