5 Ways To Help Your Kids Do Well In School

Aug 25th, 2010

FIVE WAYS TO HELP YOUR KIDS DO WELL IN SCHOOL:

#1.)  MAKE SURE THEY GET ENOUGH SLEEP.  A recent study showed that missing just one hour of sleep a night can lower a child's cognitive ability by almost TWO YEARS.

--In other words, a NINTH-grader who gets six hours of sleep instead of seven will only perform at a SEVENTH-grade level the next day.

--So when they go to bed, make sure that they actually GO TO SLEEP, and that they're not playing games on the computer or watching TV.  62% of kids admit to using their cell phones in bed, and their parents have no idea.

#2.)  DON'T WORRY TOO MUCH ABOUT GRADES.  Researchers at Columbia University found that it's better to concentrate on how HARD your kids are working, NOT how high their grades are.

--The study showed that if you praise kids for how much they study, they're more likely to grow up thinking anything's possible if they just try hard enough.

#3.)  RESPECT THEIR LEARNING STYLE.  Just because YOU studied in complete silence doesn't mean your kids have to. Children learn in different ways.  So if they want to listen to their iPods and do their homework in bed, let them.

--But when they're using their computer, just make sure they REALLY ARE studying, not talking to their friends online. 

#4.)  HAVE DINNER TOGETHER.  According to a recent study, kids get better grades if they sit down for dinner with their family on a regular basis.

--And they're also less likely to abuse drugs or develop an eating disorder.

#5.)  DON'T STRESS THEM OUT.  Fighting in front of your kids REALLY DOES affect them.  Research shows that family-induced stress can lower a child's ability to learn for up to two days after the incident.

--So, arguing in front of your kids on a Wednesday night can affect how they do on FRIDAY'S test. 
GALTime.com