Editor’s Post by Deborah Hetrick Catanese
You know your child needs to finish the school year strong. Here are some helpful tips for helping your child stay focused by setting up a study plan!
It’s Spring, at last, with delicious distractions galore! And, if we as Mothers are antsy after that long nasty winter, just think how your kids feel! Springtime is such a welcome distraction, with baseball, soccer, musical theater, prom, and dance recitals in the works…but what about SCHOOL?!
If your kids are anything like mine were, schoolwork can easily retreat into the background with all the splendid goings on in April and May. But since colleges want to see FINAL grades, and both elementary and high schools often determine next year’s class placements from end of the year results, this is NOT a very good time for your kids to start slacking after all their hard work throughout the year!
So, lovely Mama, don’t go into denial mode along with your kids! You are the grown-up, remember? (Note that I did NOT say “Groan up” lol!)
Indeed spring is time for every Mama to woman up and help your children stay on task to finish the school year strong!
Setting up a study plan: 7 Important Steps
Assist your child in keeping their own calendar and sticking with it. Time to get out the syllabuses and work on setting up a Study Plan…noting when the last assignments are due, when final exams take place, and what make-up or extra credit work might be possible. Encourage your child to make an appointment with any teacher for whom they are not quite working up to par. Also be sure to include the baseball games, the practice schedules, etc., etc. Most of all, note the times available for school work, IN BOLD. Your child will benefit greatly by learning/using organizational skills to help them ratchet down end of year stress and prevent the appearance of Stress’ evil stepsister, Panic.
Also remember that many schools provide important back-up in your endeavor to help your student stay focused. An example is this very helpful study skills program at the high school my son attended, the well known Central Catholic High School.
Keep track of the Master Study Plan tenaciously. You are the parent and you need to know the schedule too. Especially since you have to somehow find a way to fit your schedule into theirs…all the while allowing time for meals, breaks, and driving…and your OWN schedule! And if you are also an employed Mom, you will need to know when you need to find back-up to get this all to happen!
Budget extra-curriculars. This would NOT be a good time to schedule a family weekend to visit Grandma or sign your child up for life-saving classes! These are things to plan for Summer break, not Spring. And if your child wants a sleepover with 20 of their “best friends”, try hard to postpone until vacation time hits.
Don’t schedule ANYTHING in May unless you MUST! It honestly caught me by surprise when I first realized how busy the month of May is for families and children. In fact, in my experience, it was every bit as hectic as the December holiday period, maybe more so, once you consider all the graduations and graduation parties added in as well!
Take advantage of extended daylight hours. Kids get in the habit in winter of having a long dark evening to ration out their school work. One technique for enjoying spring is to allow them to slack on school work during daylight hours and blow off their steam then. Once you have dinner and dusk starts to creep in, homework must have its turn!
Follow the 30 Second Rule. The worst case scenario for every member of your family is for you to drone on and on about homework. Homework is your child’s job. Telling them so simply and directly is your job! Once you have set homework as the expectation, say what you have to say within a 30 second statement. Keep it short and neutral…”Time to turn the video game off and start on homework.” No nudging, no raised voices, just calmly state your case. (Of course, this rule only works if there are consequences. So, be sure to let your child know that the video game or catching ball with friends is a privilege, one that can be instantly gone without homework getting its fair shake. )
Compliment your child for the behavior you want to see. (Bribery can work too! Oh right, it’s called REWARDING now!) Just a reminder! We all forget to do this sometimes. How about a promise of a late night trip for ice cream, once the homework is done? Or some little gesture like new soccer shoes or ballet warm-ups or a fresh new spring top or t-shirt to give them a boost during crunchtime? Remember too that favorite foods warm every child’s heart and help them know you are on their team.
These acts of kindness from Mom are so helpful, and your child will truly appreciate that you understand how stressful exams and mucho homework and even all the fun stuff can be! This is especially true in the midst of the Crazy Month of May, coming soon to households near you, so get those study plans going now, without further delay!
What do you do to help your children finish the school year strong? Have you assisted your child in setting up a Study Plan?
Fashionably yours,
Deborah
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