Poor grades are disappointing to parents and frustrating to kids who want to live up to their family's expectations. Stay low-key, emphasize the positive, and work with your child and teachers to get to the root of the problem.
by Christina DiMartino
As parents, you want your child to do well in school, so it's understandable to feel disappointment when he gets poor grades. Remember that it's also frustrating to your child. He knows he hasn't lived up to your expectations, and he may feel like a failure. If he has siblings who have better report cards, his sense of letting you down can be even more intense.
Stay calm
Better Homes & Gardens suggests that when your child brings home disappointing grades, don't panic, and don't lose your cool. Studies have shown that either reaction may mean worse grades in the future. Punishing your child won't work either. Nor will offering rewards for good grades or just expressing nonchalance, as in, "You'll do better next time."
What does help is a low-key, reasoned approach that includes getting to the root of the problem, working with the child's teachers to provide necessary support, and maintaining a constant emphasis on the positive.
Establish a goal toward good grades
Bavaria says that understanding your child's ability and determining if your expectations are too high will allow both parents and child to set appropriate goals for each class before report cards are distributed. It will also help to establish an environment in which your child is not apprehensive about sharing her report card with you. Bavaria offers tips for parents on how to hone their parenting styles to best work with their children toward better grades.
- Set expectations. Not every child will earn perfect marks, but that doesn't mean she should strive for less. Talk with her before the school year starts and explain that you won't be upset if she doesn't make an A in every subject, but that it's important to try her hardest and ask for help.
- Communicate. Don't wait until report cards are issued to talk with your child about school and grades. Talk with her every day about homework. Ask how she is doing in school and what subjects she finds challenging.
- Discuss your child's performance with his teacher and guidance counselor. These people are the best sources for information about your child's scholastic performance. They can recommend ways to help your child or point out difficulties he is having. Ask them to provide progress reports between reports cards or set up additional parent-teacher conferences when necessary.
- Set goals for improvement with your child. If your child is currently a "C" student, setting a goal of getting all "A" marks may not be reasonable. However, creating an improvement goal for each subject will help him work toward an attainable level for each class.
- Help your child establish a personalized study plan. Your child should keep a schedule of all classes, assignments, project deadlines, major exams and other important dates. His schedule should also include specific times for studying, projects and extracurricular activities. The more comprehensive the schedule, the more efficient your child will be in completing his homework and the better he'll do in school.
Get outside help
Some kids may need more attention than their teachers can reasonably give them. DoItYourself, an independent home improvement, repair and general interest website, suggests that you consult with your child's teacher to see if he or she thinks outside tutoring might help.
Whether your child is struggling in school or just needs help learning how to study, tutoring can benefit every kind of student. Learning centers use a personalized approach that builds lasting skills, independent work habits, and positive attitudes that students need to succeed in school and in life.
Praise often
Waverly Community School Board in Lansing, Michigan, says it's important to praise your child for what she is doing well, whether it's a specific academic subject or an extracurricular activity. If your child is not doing well in English, but loves to read the Twilight books, show her the connection between the two.
Christina DiMartino has been a freelance and assignment writer since 1985. She is a researcher, interviewer, writer, editor, and manuscript collaborator with a repertoire of clients from around the world.
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Inspire Your Kids to Cook
by Christina DiMartino
Your kids—boys and girls alike—express a desire to cook from a very early age, likely without your even realizing it. They make mud pies in the sandbox, play with child-sized cooking sets, and organize kitchens in doll houses or play areas, and they probably inquire about what you’re cooking from the time they begin to communicate.
Kids Cooking Activities offers up reasons why you should encourage cooking activities with your kids. (Set up link at underlining to http://www.kids-cooking-activities.com)
* Cooking with your children helps them to learn about nutrition and healthy eating.
* Cooking in the kitchen will give children a boost of self confidence. They are accomplishing a task, learning something important, and contributing to the family.
* Taking time to cook with your kids will give them lasting memories. They will pass the traditions on when they are grown and have their own families.
* In the enthusiasm of creating something themselves, your children will be more likely to eat what they had a hand in making.
* Kids learn real lessons in science, language, math, and creativity in the kitchen. Cooking will help reinforce all these subjects.
* Cooking is a great way to learn life skills. This is especially helpful when children are older and more independent. They won't have to rely on fast food and junk food to sustain them.
* Working together in the kitchen teaches your child teamwork.
* Cooking teaches children planning and making choices skills.
* Kids practice creativity and imagination in the kitchen. Cooking activities are a great way for kids to express themselves and enjoy their creations.
It may take longer to get the meal or snack done, but the moments with your children will be priceless. Remember to have patience. Don't worry about flour on the floor or spilled milk.
A role model for cooking with kids
Cooking With Kids, a series of 90-second videos, is hosted by James Beard Award-winning chef John Sarich. Development of the program was inspired by the reality of childhood obesity, anorexia and other eating disorders, Type II Diabetes, and low bone density, which have all become national issues. Cooking With Kids encourages parents and children to spend time in the kitchen together preparing healthy meals in ways that improve communication and help children develop healthy nutritional habits. (Set up link at underlining to http://www.cookingwithkids.org/fact.html)
The program shows how easy it is for kids to prepare snacks and meals that taste good and that are good for them. It uses the five food groups as a platform for nutrition messages. You can watch the videos with your children through the website, then print out the recipe and go try it yourselves.
The recipes that Sarich prepares with kids on the segments teach them which categories on the United States Department of Agriculture’s Food Pyramid are included in the recipe. He explains how vegetable burritos, for example, include foods that have protein, fiber and dairy, and that the burritos are low in fat.
Good cooking habits
Spatulatta provides 350 step-by-step videos that teach kids good cooking habits, and offers advice for moms, dads and kids on numerous issues related to cooking with kids. It emphasizes topics like teaching kids to wash their hands properly before handling food. (Set up link at underlining to http://www.spatulatta.com)
When it comes to working in the kitchen, you know your children. You know what abilities they have and how fine their motor skills are. Some children are ready to handle a certain kitchen utensil or work at the stove earlier than others. It’s up to you to make that determination.
You set the rules in your kitchen, such as you will always light the burners and oven for your children.
Go over the workings of every electrical appliance with your child. Explain that the beaters, for example, should be inserted into a hand mixer before the mixer is plugged in.
Safety and courtesy are behaviors that need to be re-enforced and modeled.
Once you've explained how to handle an item safely, try asking your child to tell you how to do it the next time the task is required when making a recipe. We all learn best when we try to teach.
CREDIT:
Christina DiMartino has been a freelance and assignment writer since 1985. She is a researcher, interviewer, writer, editor, and manuscript collaborator with a repertoire of clients from around the world.
PHOTO / ILLUSTRATION RECOMMENDATIONS:
Go to http://www.cookingwithkids.org
TEASER:
Cooking with your kids does much more than produce tasty treats! It teaches teamwork, safety, courtesy, math, science, and more, and encourages creativity and imagination. And there are some terrific online videos that will help you get started.
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