Like adults, children could be pressured by work. The pressures of school work can come from difficulty in transitioning, poor orientation, volume of class work and homework, extracurricular activities, etc.
It is the duty of parents to help their children adapt to school routine and school work.
Here are some helpful tips:
- Prepare a school schedule and allocate time for each item. Use colourful stick on to differentiate tasks, and use timer when necessary.
- Make room daily for about 30 minutes of exercise and relaxation. Also, include about 8 hours of sleep on your schedule. Your child needs good sleep to stay healthy.
- Keep school supplies organized for easy sorting and packing for the next day. This leads to efficiency and proper time management.
- Divide school work into manageable units. Encourage your child to always begin with the easier work, then progress to the difficult tasks.
- Encourage your child to ask for help where there are challenges. Seek the help of an expert if needed.
- Discuss with your child to know areas of assistance, and seek simple ways to make work easier for him/her.
- Never complain before your child about how hectic the school routine is, or the magnitude of the work. This will discourage your child from putting in his/her best.
- Use affirmative words to encourage your child. Also, encourage your child to have repeated self-talk within him/her when faced with challenges. Repeated short phrases like ‘Yes, I can’, could make a huge difference.
- Pay attention to your environment, eliminate distractions and stress triggers, then make the environment a conducive zone. In addition, build a good support system to help your child cope with school work.
Success only comes to those who try, and it gets easier with continuous effort.
