| Teaching Your Child Useful Skills | | | | and applied consistently but with some room for |
| Your child's first teacher might well be the most | | | | negotiation. |
| important teacher they ever have. | | | | Do the right thing |
| Your child's first teacher is of course you the | | | | Encourage your children to think about the future and |
| parents, grandparents, extended family, care givers. | | | | there place in it. Their expectations need to be |
| Your child's first class room is your home. | | | | realistic but remember to encourage them to stretch |
| The way the child learns is by the wonderful abilities | | | | those expectations and abilities. |
| of imagination and curiosity. Humans are born with | | | | They need to gain the experience of satisfaction as |
| these abilities and are basic instincts that help us all | | | | some of their expectations are met and some are |
| survive, learn, and succeed in a competitive world. | | | | left unfulfilled. They need to learn to stand by their |
| As a parent, you can switch your child on to the joy | | | | decisions and sometimes this means sacrificing fun |
| of learning by encouraging their imagination and | | | | now for benefits later or it is simply just 'the right |
| curiosity at an early age. It gives them a great head | | | | thing' to do whatever the consequences. |
| start and stimulates the all-important desire to learn | | | | They need to find out what happens as a result of |
| more. | | | | decisions they have made. Do not be tempted to bail |
| A sense of security and self-worth | | | | them out all the time. |
| Teaching and learning are not mysteries that only | | | | Here is list of some no-cost high value things to do: |
| happen in schools. They happen all the time when | | | | - Really listen to them and pay attention to their |
| parents or the caregiver do things together with their | | | | problems, explain solutions, ask them if they are |
| children. Even if they are not doing things together | | | | happy with your suggestion and remedies. |
| the child will be observing you and learning by your | | | | - Read to them and allow them to read to you. Make |
| example. | | | | this a regular habit and a treat not a chore. Keep a |
| It does not matter not how rich or poor or famous | | | | bookshelf well stocked with different types of |
| we are or how many years of schooling we have | | | | reading materials. Discuss the daily news with them. |
| had. What counts is what we say and do at home. | | | | - Encourage them to use an encyclopedia and |
| When children can count on getting positive attention | | | | dictionary. |
| and encouraging kind words at home they will | | | | - Get them their own library cards. |
| develop a greater sense of security and self-worth. | | | | - Keep a quiet and tidy area for them to study, read |
| This will help them do better not only in school, but | | | | and do their homework. |
| also as they mature and grow to a confident adult. | | | | - Tell them family stories who did what where and |
| It is all about communicating in a clear, positive and | | | | when. |
| wholesome manner. Asking questions and really listen | | | | - Share your favorite music, songs and poems and |
| for answers is a no-cost high value thing to do. | | | | with them. Explain why you like a particular track or |
| Share our own experiences past and present. | | | | artist. |
| Recounting your childhood explaining how things | | | | - Limit the television watching. Watch television with |
| change and why gives them a time line and a sense | | | | them and discuss the content. You can have great |
| of their place in history. Sharing your goals and | | | | fun making up your own 'better endings' for example. |
| aspirations is also important as children tend to adopt | | | | - Limit the time on games modules and computers. |
| our ideals this make a positive role model is essential. | | | | Set a time for "computers off". |
| Family rules | | | | - Go to festivals, museums and historical sites. Go out |
| Establish realistic, consistent family rules, boundaries | | | | exploring; learn about plants, animals and geography. |
| and stable routines. Children need limits set even | | | | - Learn about different parts of your town, city and |
| though they will try to test these limits time and time | | | | country. Take a packed lunch or picnic (let them help |
| again. In fact clearly set boundaries are comforting to | | | | making it) |
| your children making them feel secure. But to make | | | | - Eat together around a table enquire about their day. |
| such rules work they need to be clear, understood | | | | |