Parents Corner:
Parent plays a very crucial role for their children while they are in the age group of 14-16 years. In this age group, children are going through a very important phase of their academic life i.e. 10th& 12th and various entrance exams on which their whole career and as a result their whole life depends. So undoubtedly these two years are most important in the life of any child. That is why it becomes more crucial for parents to provide necessary care and support in order to groom their child to their fullest.
However lot many parents are normally confused with regard to their role in this age group of their child’s life. They are either more caring than required thus resulting in underdevelopment of their child or they are much more vigilant, stressed which results in fear and anxiety in children. Parents must understand that to nourish a plant well requires proper amount of water and proper amount of heat at the same time. Excess of anyone or lack of either makes a plant to perish instead of flourish.
So let us examine in detail; what parents should and should not do in order to make their child achieve maximum success.
a: Goal setting: First and foremost thing which parents should do when their child enters 10th or 12th (or going to appear in entrance exams) is to set a clear cut GOAL. Because someone has correctly said that its not possible to hit the target which you can not see. And this has to be done very systematically and not in haphazard manner. Parents should sit with their child and discuss the GOAL in detail. And this should be done in upside down manner. So start first with what s/he wants to become in life, what career s/he wants to pursue, which institute s/he wants to enter into and finally how much score s/he needs for this.
When parent and the child both have the clarity of GOAL then future communications and efforts will be more synchronized than otherwise.
b: Motivation: Children in their 10th& 12th face lot of stress and anxiety. To face this, they need lot of motivation. Motivation is not just required in a year or a month but we recommend it daily just like their food in order for their healthy mental growth. And Parents should particularly avoid using demotivating words for their children.
c: Planning: Most of the children do not have skill to plan for their studies. After Goal Setting nothing is more important than making a proper study plan. Parents should help their children in making a monthly & yearly plan of studies. Guidance form teachers are of utmost importance here. Student shall make their study plan well in advance and most preferably at the beginning of academic year. A proper planning ensures proper use of time, proper allocation of time on all subjects, enough time for revision and practice and much more. Further Parents when aware of the planning can keep a track of child’s studies in a better manner.
d: Care & Support: Parents should take proper care & provide full support to their children as they are facing very high pressure in their 10th& 12th. Also children are going through hormonal changes in this age. And influence of peers is also high in this age. So it becomes very important to take proper care of your child. It is to be properly watched that they remain focused on their study path and wastage of their precious time is minimal.
e: Mobile use: Parents are recommended not to give mobile to their children up to 10th However after 10th it becomes inevitable. But proper guidance should be provided and strict watch should be kept on mobile use as mobile has become biggest time waster now a days. Parents may relate mobile use timings with their daily study time in a manner that they are being rewarded for their studies.