All parents have a hard time trying to get their children to study. If study time is a daily struggle at home with your children, you are not alone. From kicking up a royal fuss to coming up with the most innovative (and the most hilarious) excuses, children are ready to do almost anything to get out of sitting down with their books. Parents constantly find themselves wondering “Why are my children so averse to studying?†The answer is simple. They are not averse studying. They are just more interested in doing other things with their time.
How to get your children to study:
- Begin early and be consistent:
- Don’t wake up one day and suddenly decide to give your child a study time.
- No matter how young you little one is, spend a little time with her every evening, teaching her something.
- Children respond to consistency and it helps if they feel like they have always had a designated “study time†for as long as they can remember.
- Adjust this study time gradually as your child gets older.
- Use a study Time Table:
- This keeps your children on a schedule.
- It makes homework and studies organized.
- A time table lets them know when they are expected to study and what topics they have to cover.
- As your children get older, let them make their own time tables according to the demands of their course load.
- Keep tabs on homework, assignments and projects so that you can work it into the time table to avoid late submissions or missed deadlines.
- Homework and Studies are not the same thing:
- Assign children a separate “homework time†from their regular “study timeâ€.
- Homework time can be flexible depending on how much work has been assigned that day.
- Ensure that your children understand that completing homework and studying are not the same thing. So just finishing their homework does not mean they are done touching their books for the day.
- At the same time don’t overwork your child by making her study too much on a day she has already had to complete a lot of homework.
- Homework and studies are two different things that are both essential to your child’s progress. To understand the importance of homework you can read Why is homework an important part of the education process?
- Avoid distractions:
- Children are not averse to studies they just always want to do more fun things with their time.They would rather watch TV, play video games, play outside, chat on the phone or socialize with their friends.
- Ensure that these do not become distractions during their study time. Instead you can use them as incentives to motivate your children to study.
- Distractions of any kind take away from your child’s study time as they will not be able to pay attention and focus.
- Do not let them while away their time at their desk staring at a page, or looking out of a window. Study time must be productive. Your children must learn something as study time is not a punishment or something to keep kids busy and out of mischief.
- Create an interesting workstation:
- An inviting work station must be both practical and appealing to children.
- It must be well lit, comfortable, warm and inviting. It must be a space your children will enjoy spending their time. You will find it difficult to convince children to spend very much time at a plain desk and chair.
- Personalize it with a soft board that displays your child’s art work or assignments.
- Keep school supplies close at hand. Keep the space neat and organized.
- An ideal workspace should be quiet, secluded and free from distractions.
- Motivate your children:
- Children work best when motivated by rewards and incentives.
- Find innovate ways to incorporate rewards into their study schedule.
- You can use study time as a way for students to earn privileges like TV time or Video game time. You can reward them with chits that they can collect to get out of doing a daily chore that they dislike. You may also offer bigger incentives like their favourite dinner, a movie night, a lunch out, or a new toy when they have accomplished bigger goals.
- Balance work with sufficient breaks:
- Children need a lot of breaks. Their attention spans are short therefore they find it difficult to pay attention for extended periods of time.
- Ensure you give your kids plenty of free time to play, relax and unwind. Studies should not stress them out. Learning should be a fun and enriching experience.
- Children need breaks of all kinds, be it water breaks, bathroom breaks or snack breaks.
- Ensure they are well fed so that they do not get distracted by hunger pangs. No sugary snacks as it will make them hyper.
- Incorporate physical exercises or games to help children relieve pent up energy. This ensures that they do not get too restless from sitting quietly at their study table.
- Use games:
- Brain games are a great tool to get children to study.
- You can incorporate into a warm up exercise before they sit down to study
- It may also be offered as an alternative on days they absolutely refuse to study.
- It is also a great idea to supplement regular study hours with brain games like scrabble, taboo, Pictionary or Sudoku.
- Be aware of your child’s progress:
- Communicate with teachers and stay up to date on your child’s progress.
- Keep up with what they are being taught in school so that you can reinforce those lessons at home.
- Know when homework is assigned and ensure that it is completed and turned in on time.
- Understand your role:
- You need to empower your children to study and complete their homework.
- You can help clear their doubts and teach them new concepts but your role is largely that of a guide.
- Give your space so that they learn to be confident in their own abilities. Don’t hover but stay close. They will ask for help if they need any. Otherwise just sit nearby and do your own work. Watching you work may well encourage them to work as well.
- Don’t give your child answers or do their homework for them. Teach them to be self sufficient, by showing them how to solve their problems independently.
- Encourage your children and have a positive attitude.
- Cooperate with teachers and school authorities in order to give your child the best learning environment both at home and in school.
With these points in mind you should have no trouble getting your children to take an interest in their studies.