Tag Archives: Back to school

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Start Children Back to School “on the Right Foot”

by Pat Lamb (Author of: Let the Children Come; Children, Come to Me; When the Stars Fall Down; Widening the Church Doors to Teach the Narrow Way; My Thinking Book; Love is…) Books are available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and www.patlambchristianauthor.com

Train up a child…

  Start Children Back to School “on the Right Foot”

       Getting off to a bad start in anything is not a good thing, but it is especially important that children get a good start at the beginning of each school year.  The start of the year sets the pattern of behavior for the remainder of the school year and possibly for years to come.  Having a set pattern removes uncertainty and much confusion as children practice firm rules in the home.  As those rules become habits, parents are more at ease and there is less worry on the part of both the parents and the children.

         Before school starts in the fall, parents need to sit down with children and pray with them that they will do their best.  Undue pressure should not be put on any child to make straight “A’s”.  Rather, children should be encouraged to do the best they can do with the abilities God has given them.  II Timothy 2:15 is a good verse to use to impress children to do their best in school. If a child can understand that it is God who is to be pleased more than self, teachers, or parents, studying becomes more important. This gives purpose and the proper attitude toward learning. The prayer instills a sense of seriousness about the importance of behavior and effort.

         Children need routine.  They need the understanding that their behavior is acceptable, and they need to know that their parents are concerned with their well-being.

         Why not use the cell phone, that most older children have, to help them remember their routine? Our youngest son programs the cell phone of his sons to remind them of what they are to do and when they are to do it.  They can then text him when the chores are accomplished. 

A good routine for children each school night might include the following:

1) Homework is done at a certain time and place; then, it is laid out in a special spot so the child will not have to hunt for it the next morning.

2) Anything that is to be taken to school with the homework is placed along with the homework in a designated spot to prevent the scurrying around that often occurs in many homes as children frantically try to get ready to go to school.

3) Clothes to be worn the next day are laid out and ready to be put on.

4) Any chores in the home that the child is to do the next day are explained so that the child is not surprised with added  activities that may interrupt his/her plans.

     5) The alarm clock is set.

      When these things are taken care of, one of the parents checks in on the child at bedtime to be available to hear questions or comments from the child before hearing the prayers of the younger children.  Older children may want to say prayers in private.

When the listed items are done, the child can go to bed at ease knowing all is ready for the next day.  That child knows that the right thing has been done and will have a sense of accomplishment. Both the children and the parents will rest better knowing that all is organized. 

When children wake up in the morning and their clothes are ready for them, they don’t have the turmoil in their minds to start the day wondering what to wear.  They don’t have to worry about their homework because they know where it is.  After a good breakfast, one or both parents can give each child a big hug and kiss before he/she walks out the door along with a word of advice such as, “Learn all you can learn!” or “No matter what happens today, I will still love you tonight!”  With a final, “I love you!” the child is on the way to a good day at school.

Helping Children Set Goals for School

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by Pat Lamb (Author of: Let the Children Come; Children, Come to Me; When the Stars Fall Down; Widening the Church Doors to Teach the Narrow Way; My Thinking Book; Love is…) Books are available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and www.patlambchristianauthor.com

Train up a child…

Helping Children Set Goals for School

       If we don’t know where we are going, how do we know when we get there?  Children and adults alike need to know what they are aiming toward.  As we help our children get ready for school, we need to include a time to sit down with each child individually and help that child set realistic goals for the coming school year.

         Goals should be predicated on what is best for the child.  There should be both short-term and long-term goals.  Goals should lead to mastery of needed material for the success of the child.

         It is all too easy for a parent to impose goals on a child to accomplish what the parent wants for the child rather than what the child really needs.  All adults have dreams and aspirations for their children and these same dreams and aspirations can cause us to set goals for a child to accomplish what we want, not taking into consideration the child’s real abilities.  Good goals will take into consideration the problems a child has had and the vision of what that child can realistically accomplish.  To expect all children to be “A” students is not being realistic.  Even if a child is smart enough to be an “A” student, that child may get a teacher whose personality does not “click” with the child, the child may have times when s/he may not feel well, or a child may have a mental block or lack of background experience to provide a needed foundation for understanding of what is being taught.  In fact, grades should not be the priority of goals.  Grades should be taken out of the picture and effort should be emphasized.  If a child is developing good study habits and doing the best possible, that is the important thing.  

         Enough short-term goals should be set to encourage a child along the way.  One short-term goal might be to spend a certain length of time each school night for a week doing homework.  When that goal is reached, another short-term goal of perhaps a month of a certain amount of time spent on homework could be set. The child or parent may decide on an award for the accomplishment of each goal. The emphasis should be placed on spending time learning the material.  Even if a child says that the work is done, sitting there for a certain length of time will provide time for reflection on what is learned as well as thoughts of application of the material learned.  To finish a paper or two does not mean that a child has learned the needed facts. It is wonderful when a child learns the pleasantness of learning!  Learning opens new worlds that many children never discover in their eagerness to “get it over with”.  A long-term goal is to see that the child experiences the joy of learning.  

         Some schools have done away with grades of A, B, C, D, and F.  They are experimenting with promoting children by levels.  When a child can test out of a certain level, that child moves to the next level. There are many examples of students who have made high grades who don’t know the material and vice versa.  Just to “finish homework” doesn’t meet the need of the child.  Parents, as well as teachers, need to make sure that the child knows the material.  Goals should be set to accomplish mastery of material assigned.   

         Each child is unique and one set of goals does not fit all.  As parents take the time to sit down with the child and discuss needs and goals, it would be well to listen to the child first.  Most children will be honest and surprisingly know what they need to do if given a chance.  It is the parent’s role to provide guidance and encouragement.