As parents, we can't help but worry about how our kids are doing in school. Alan Yip shares some tips to show us how we can help our kids reach their potential.
Shift The Focus
While it is fantastic to achieve excellent grades, parents need to shift the focus of their attention from the product of grades to the process and joy of learning instead. The child should be made aware that it is the knowledge that he has learnt that makes his parents proud.
Results may fluctuate, but if the focus is on understanding and acquiring knowledge, the child won't doubt his self-worth every time he doesn't score an A on a test.
Reduce Unnecessary Stress
The child should not be made to feel that sustaining straight As in school is the only way to obtain his parents’ approval and love. This would put additional pressure on the child to maintain high grades in all exams and tests. Otherwise, the child feels that he has lost his parents’ love and acceptance.
Manage Expectations
Some children are very ambitious by nature and place excessively high expectations on themselves to achieve perfect grades. This is unhealthy, as the child shoulders unrealistic aspirations. Over time, such an attitude may eventually lead to a mental and emotional breakdown or “burnout.”
Encourage And Nurture Efforts
Reinforce your child's confidence with consistent encouragement. Examine how you, as parents, can help him to achieve better results with less stress, in less time and with greater enjoyment of the learning process. In short, think about how he can learn faster, better, easier and with more fun!
For instance, you can look at how your child can learn to manage time more effectively. Help him make a timetable that is colourful and interesting to him. You could develop fun methods to boost his memory and concentration span as well, such as playing memory games with him.
A winning mindset is one which is orientated towards trying your best and leaving the rest. Let him know that grades are only secondary to a fun and fruitful learning experience.
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Written by Alan Yip:
Founder and Peak Performance Coach of MIND EDGE
A passionate educator, cutting edge entrepreneur and one of the most dynamic, powerful and humorous speakers in Asia.With over 20 years of experience, he is dedicated to empowering others to realise their highest potential for success in school, work and life.
His achievements in Singapore include:
- Author of best-selling FUNtastic Parenting in 2008
- Record Holder (Memory Power), Singapore Book Of Records
- Coach of the first and only Grandmaster Norm of Memory in Singapore
- Coach of the Singapore Memory Team,
which represented Singapore in the 2004 World Memory Championships (U.K.).
His achievements in the U.S.A. include:
- Voted Best MBA Speaker and elected as the first-ever non-American President of the Indiana Personnel Association (U.S.A.)
- Received the honourable appointment to be a Human Rights Commissioner (U.S.A.)
- Consultant to design and development of system improvements for a top-5 global pharmaceutical company in America
- Designed and implemented powerful public relations, low-cost/high-impact marketing, effective leadership, customer delight, impact presentation, win-win negotiation, revenue generation and business growth strategies for small and medium enterprises in America
