So your child is going to high school! As parents, our kids going from middle school to high school is such a big deal. It’s where we realize in 4 years our babies will be out in the big world already. It’s a pretty big transition. But, are they really ready to succeed in these upcoming years? Kids begin to realize how different it will be for them, from their friends going to different schools to how much harder it will be in classes now. But, setting our high schoolers up doesn’t just begin and end when entering that stage; it continues throughout their 4 years. I will share 3 main topics that we used that I believe will help prepare them for success.
TIME MANAGEMENT
Time management is so important. It is key not only to success in high school but overall life. This is valuable to helping your teenager manage what the next 4 years will be like. High school is very different from middle school. Not only does it mean tougher classes but this is the time they begin to become their own person. So teaching them to manage time for studies, homework, and just free time will be key. We need to guide them to plan their time out so they can succeed.
All kids are different–some need more structured schedules than others. Some will enter regular high school, others will attend magnet schools, and then there are Cambridge schools. All require time and dedication. Remember, we’re preparing them for their future. For when it’s time for college and their GPAs are important as well as their grades. Once you have helped them with time management, next is good study habits.
GOOD STUDY HABITS
Not everyone has good study habits. Some do and some don’t and there’s nothing wrong with that at all. We have 3 kids and out of 3, 1 has great study habits and hardly has to study while the other 2 have to study to grasp it. But it’s never too late to help them. This is why I believe guiding them to good study habits is important. What can you do to help them?
- Teach them to always be prepared for class. They should always complete their homework and classwork. If the school offers free tutoring for classes have them take advantage and do the tutoring. There’s nothing wrong with getting help. Preparing is so important for success in school and the future.
- Teach them not to just study the night before or the morning of. If they know they have a test coming start studying days in advance. Tell them to always take notes in class–there’s never too much note-taking.
- Always plan out time for them to review notes they took in class in a nice quiet area when they get home, even if there’s no homework. They can study what they learned that day. You never know when there will be a pop quiz. It’s always better to be over-prepared than under-prepared.
- Join study groups or start one. Sometimes a group can really help. Everyone involved can bring a lot to the group. Always remember some are visual learners while others are book learners so having a group is bound to have both.
So we have taught them time management and good study habits–what are we missing? Involvement in extracurricular activities.
EXTRACURRICULAR INVOLVEMENT
What does extracurricular involvement mean? Well, it’s exactly how it sounds: getting involved in some clubs or sports. Remember we’re preparing them for a successful high school experience but at the end of it all, we’re preparing them for college too. Extra-curricular activities are great for them to make friends which of course is mentally helpful for them to have. High school is stressful enough. It also teaches them leadership skills, how to work together, and take initiative. They need to find what their passion is. Whether it’s sports, chess club, drama club, or being class president.
Encourage them to join something! It helps destress and it looks great on college applications. The 4 years go by and we want to supply them with all the preparedness it takes to succeed in high school. We went through it already and now we can guide them to do even better than we did. Because at the end of the day, Mommas… we all want the very best for our kids.
