05/05/2024
Being intentional about your child cuts across a lot, including their academics.
How deliberate you are about your child will reflect on how you handle school matters and your relationship with teachers.
A lot of schools are all about creating an impression in the hearts of parents rather than helping a child.
They leave you with classwork that is very impressive, which makes you conclude your child is doing very well. Meanwhile, teachers are asked to be mild in correction and come in for the pupils where the answers are missing.
And because you lack the time to review your child's books and watch them do those things in your presence, you come up with praise for a child you assume is doing well.
Scribbling now becomes a problem for kids that are just starting, as perfect work is what the school wants to be seen in their books (seeking the applause of parents).
The fact that your child can recite A-Z even when woken up in the wee hours of the morning is a good one, but most importantly, can your child identify letters and numbers beyond rhymes?
Learning is a gradual process, but some schools are no longer helping matters; the appraisal of parents is now more important than impacting what a child ought to know in them.
I believe it's vital that, as you hustle and toil to pay fees, it's a necessity for it to be evident in the life of your child. I'm connected to understand the sacrifices you make for these children. Sorry to say, if you aren't intentional about them, you will have a lot to wish for, and 'had I known' comes in.
While a school structure might be affecting your child's learning, you also have a role to play. Some of you see schools as a dumping ground for stress; you see them as a relief centre, which is the reason you have no business with your child's academic performance as long as school fees are paid for.
It's better to look out for the loopholes now and work on them rather than be relaxed and rely on the school system.
In all, don't take the early days of your child's academic career as a joke; put in the effort and watch them bloom.
Doris Chisom