Help Your Child Succeed - 2 Things You Must Do

By Eli Anne

Why do parents spend top dollars to send their children for enrichment classes or spend so much time and money in planning for the best education for their children?

Some might say, �Because I didn�t have all these opportunities when I was young� or �I want to be proud of my kid.�

I think the answer really is this: You want your child to learn to be independent. Isn�t it what it all boils down to? That when you and your better half are gone, your child has the necessary skills and ability to lead an independent life, to earn a living, to make informed decisions, to protect himself from manipulation by others, etc.

There are a million factors why a child could fail or succeed in life (eg. Choice of friends, choice of education system, habits, family role models, etc) But let�s talk about 2 simple things for now that we as parents can do to help our child succeed:

LET HIM BE THE TEACHER SOMETIMES

There�s always not enough time. And because of this, sometimes we want to do everything, speak up for everything, show everything to our child so that they �get it� FASTER. Sadly enough, because of this, sometimes the child is robbed of the opportunity to understand the learning process. Because he did not think through the process himself, because he did not feel the pain from the consequences of the decision he made himself, the likely result is that he will not remember the lesson.

As such, starting from little things, try to let him be the teacher without interrupting or telling him the �better method� immediately. Listen, don�t judge prematurely and encourage him to explain himself why and how he is going to approach a matter.

Sometimes you might be surprised yourself at his �inferior� method and be inwardly proud by his logical explanation.

By encouraging him to speak up, you are also honing his thought organization skills and communication ability.

When you really listen, you make him feel special, and he will reciprocate by showing you the same level of respect when you speak or share your ideas in future.

ENCOURAGE CURIOSITY

Children are a naturally curious bunch � that�s why as babies, we need to watch over them 24 hours to make sure they don�t wander off, split things apart or make a mess.

That�s why sometimes as parents, we make the mistake of over-protecting them. �Don�t let him walk on the sandy beach, he might cut himself on shells�, �Don�t let him touch the vases, she might break them� or �Don�t let her wear her shoes herself, she might not fasten them properly�.

In the end, our children become anything but independent. Over time, our over-protection stifles their natural desire for learning and exploration. The lack of environmental stimulation inhibits their mental development and in the process, kills their original love for self-learning.

Within certain safety limits, allow your child to explore his surrounding environment. Or look for ways to encourage his curiosity. When your child asks you questions (even seemingly tiresome stupid ones), instead of shutting him off or saying �I don�t know�, �Don�t� disturb me now�, �Can you go ask grandma�, ask him what he thinks or ask him how did he come to ask this question? Encourage him to find something he is interested in and ask him to explain/ show it to you.

CONCLUSION

The type of environment your child grows up in is critical. That is why more and more parents are beginning to understand the limitations of a traditional classroom setting and discover the benefits of a Montessori education, which aims to develop a child�s natural inclination towards self-learning.

Its objective is to help a child reach his fullest potential.

Eli Anne is the webmaster for http://www.astarkid.com. It is written by a seasoned educator and mother of 4, who gives you the full story of the advantages of a Montessori education.