Summer is usually thought of as lazy days around the pool, amusement parks, hanging out with friends, and hopefully having enough time to get bored, and I’m not talking about just for the kids, I’m talking about for the parents, too. Unfortunately, after the crazy year we’ve had, if you’re a parent, you’re probably feeling like you should spend the summer tutoring your child so they can catch up with all of the education they lost over the past school year. You’re picturing temper tantrums and resentment as your child sits at the kitchen table with worksheets in front of them. They dig in their heels, refusing to do the few items you’ve asked them to do, and you’ve dug in your heels too, insisting they won’t leave the table until they do.
Teaching and learning doesn’t have to be this way. Here are some ways you can help your child, without the tears, without the tantrums, and you may both actually learn something and enjoy yourself.
The first thing you need to do is adjust your attitude from “My child needs to be able to...” to “What is my child really passionate about?” As a teacher, my number one goal for all of my students was to find their passion and help them become self-motivated participants in the learning process. When a child is working on something they’re passionate about, they’re automatically motivated to put forth effort. As the parent/teacher, your job is to find a way to insert the skills. Here are some examples. Keep in mind they only work if they’re things your child wants to do, not things you want to do. Always provide choice and be sure there’s an “open” choice where they can give you their ideas. You may be surprised. Their idea may be better than anything you could have come up with.
