Instilling a sense of discipline in our children and students is something few parents and tutors feel very comfortable doing. “I just want them to have fun and be kids!” the guilty parent or tutor says. But discipline, like it or not, is the foundation for understanding responsibility and values — things all kids will need to learn as they grow. Even though discipline is important, do remember that your child will do her best work if she is motivated by the joy of learning.
1: Make your children realize that how they study is important.
Show them some good examples. Bring your children to a person who is disciplined with the studies, and have your children ask why he or she enjoys studying or loves studying so much. Tell them stories of your childhood at school and explain how challenging and fun studying is.
2: Start young.
As soon as your child starts to receive any form of education, start teaching and showing them how to manage their time. Teach them that studying is a priority over things like games and TV, and guide them into the habit of finishing their school work before anything else.
3: Teach consequences.
Depending on where the school you child is enrolled in, your child’s school may not require students that fail a subject to do any sort of make-up course. Your child probably won’t love the idea of extra classes — but this can be a great way to teach them that if they studied harder during the year, they would have more free time during the holidays.
4: Try not to force studying on your child.
As time passes, forcing them to study may condition them to avoid studying totally. If you sit your child down at the study table for three hours with a textbook and lock the door, chances are that they will refuse to do what you want them to do. If you stress them constantly about the importance of studying and raise your voice at them when they don’t, the child may begin to resent both studying itself and you as a figure of authority at home. If you ask your child to study in a relaxed manner and make them realise the importance of studying, the outcome could be vastly different.
5: Set a good example.
Let your child see you working on something work-related. When your kid studies or completes a homework assignment, sit with her and work on something that you need to do. Set an hour aside each night for study—this includes you!
6: Take breaks.
Strike a balance between rigorous studying and unstructured play time. Make sure that your children take short breaks to relax and have fun in the midst of a study session, or else they may get too stressed—which can negatively impact their social life, their health, and their academic performance. Studying for over 20 minutes at a time can lead young children to lose focus, so 20 minutes of rest for every 20 minutes of study may help your child memorize what they’re reading. Remember this Twenty-Twenty rule!
7: Look at your child’s friend group.
If your child’s friends aren’t very into school and studying, there’s a good chance that their habits and behavior are influencing your child’s attitude. Consider whether it is your place or your responsibility to interfere with your child’s social life. If the problem continues, you might consider speaking with your child, speaking with the parents of his/her friends, or limiting your child’s time with certain friends. Ultimately, short of changing schools, there may be few invasive ways to change your child’s social life.