There is no doubt that parents want their kids to do well in school, and if every child got As across the board in every subject, perhaps the world would be a better, fairer place to live. However, you don’t need anyone to remind you that is not the case. Sometimes, kids will struggle at school. There are many reasons this could happen, from being too easily distracted to not being engaged, to having undiagnosed learning difficulties. 

It will break your heart as a parent to see your child struggle, especially during their formative years when they care too much about what others think of them. Therefore, it’s on you to support them if they show signs of struggling at school, and here’s you can achieve that. 

Educate Yourself On Development

It’s easy to compare your child to other children, or even yourself when you were their age. The problem with this is that everyone learns at a different rate, so you should educate yourself on educational development to get a better idea of where your child is and where they should be. 

This can apply to the spelling development stages and subjects like Math, especially in their younger years when these are considered the most important subjects. Understanding your child’s current level compared to the average will give you a better idea of what to focus on to help them achieve their potential in the classroom. 

Work With the Teacher 

As you won’t be with your child during the school day, you must rely on the teacher to help you understand their performance. In most cases, this is achieved through reports each semester or the occasional email if the teacher is particularly concerned. 

If your child is showing severe problems with their education, you can work with the teacher to try something different. This ensures total transparency in your child’s education and will help both of you reach an understanding about the best ways to proceed. The teacher may be unaware of certain needs your child has, whereas you will not have an idea of their behavior in the classroom that could affect their progress. 

Make Some Time At Home 

All teachers will tell you there is a direct correlation between kids who are successful and parents who put in the effort to help with their education at home. Now, this can be a tricky tightrope to walk along. Some parents work odd shifts and rarely get to see their kids after school. However, you may still be able to find the opportunity to iron out any issues. 

You can take some time in the morning or at the weekend to go over homework with your child or focus on subjects they are not confident in. The teacher can provide additional materials, and you can strive to help your child understand these materials. 

Visit the Doctor 

If you have tried as much as you can think of, but your child is still struggling at school, it could be a sign of a learning disorder. Many learning disorders, such as ADHD, can often go undetected if you do not see a doctor and have your child tested. 

It may not even be a learning disorder. Your child may need glasses or experience hearing problems, which means they cannot focus as easily as the other kids in the class. Speaking to a doctor and getting a definitive answer will help you support your child better. 

Consider Bad Influences 

Kids are easily influenced by those around them. So, your child’s issues may not be to do with them, but rather the company they keep. If your child has a group of friends that are bad influences, they will find it more difficult to succeed at school.

Again, your child’s teacher can tell you about this, and you can work out a solution with them. Perhaps your child is separated from the rest of the group. Perhaps they can change classes. Whatever the solution, it should benefit your child. 

Make Education Feel Cool 

You already know that learning is cool, but this is something that doesn’t really hit kids until their later school years, or even after they leave school. So, you need to make learning look and feel cool to your child if you want to inspire them to try harder in the classroom. 

Many teachers will do this by making their lessons fun. However, as you’re not a teacher, you can consider other ways to do this. If your child has a specific class they are good at, show them what type of cool careers they can get into with this. Even subjects they don’t enjoy can be cool with the right approach.

Help Them Find Their Passion 

If your child shows a blatant indifference to school and education, it could be that they haven’t found something they really love just yet. This might be because they do not feel challenged, or they don’t consider themselves good at anything. 

Teachers can be a great source of inspiration, but they cannot solely focus on your child, as this would be unfair to other kids. Take the opportunity to find out what your child loves and get them to use this to inspire them to enjoy all types of subjects. They may be surprised that many classes can intertwine, which gives them a fresh perspective on their education. 

Make Subjects Relevant to Them 

Your child may also show indifference because the way the class is taught does not seem relevant to them. After all, how many people do you know who buy 100 watermelons measuring 14 inches in diameter and need to fit them into the back of a car? Very few. 

Instead of giving them problems like this, think about what they enjoy outside of school and apply it to their lessons. This might be football, video games, or their favorite TV show. Whatever it is, this relevance can keep them engaged. 

Motivate Through Consequence 

It’s tough balancing punishment and consequences as a parent. Punishment is the easy way out, but it’s also not an effective method. So, you should think about how to encourage your child’s education through consequences. 

This will not just give them the impetus they need to do the work, but will also prepare them for the real world. So much of their adult life will be based around consequences, so they may as well learn how to deal with them as early as possible. It may sound like a harsh approach, but it will help them grow as a person.  

Help Them Accept Failure 

Teaching your children that failure is just as important as success is a significant learning moment for them. Every day, kids are told that if they fail, they can consider their life over. But, this is not the case, and many people will not succeed without failing first. 

This should mean they don’t try on their exam but instead help them understand that failure is the chance to learn something. Maybe they didn’t study hard enough, they have learned their lesson for next time, and likely won’t make the same mistake again. 

School Success

Showing an interest in your child’s education will set them up for success at school and later in life. However, you must make sure that you do not overstep the boundary and put too much pressure on them. Instead, offer help when they need it and find the cause of their struggles to help them find the confidence and discipline to succeed.