press herself through art, music and
physical activity.
— by Christina Katz
So, take a leap of faith. Remind
yourself that the folks who run schools
are trained professionals. Trust them
with your child’s daily education and
wellbeing. Then your child will ex-
perience every day as an adventure in
learning and growing.
3) Be positive and proactive.
Try to find something to like about your
school on a regular basis. If you don’t
know what to like then you might not
be aware enough.
For The Love Of Learning:
4 Ways To Teach Your Child To Enjoy School
R
aising engaged students is
not only the responsibil-
ity of the teachers and the
administrators at your school, it’s a job
that starts at home with every parent.
You may have anxiety, fears, or merely
first-day jitters about your child go-
ing to school. But if you can muster
up your courage and take a one-good-
day-at-a-time approach, you will find
that raising a child who loves school is
easier than you might have imagined.
Just follow these four simple
guidelines, keep your interactions with
your school’s employees constructive
and upbeat, and watch the magic that
occurs when your child loves learning.
1) Share to prepare. Tell your
child what you enjoyed about school.
If your spouse enjoyed school, encour-
age him to share stories, too. But if you
had a difficult time in school, share
those stories with someone who is not
your child. Talk to another adult about
the ways you struggled, and how those
struggles might color your expectations
of what school will be like for your
child.
Get your fears and biases about
school off your chest and let them go
so you won’t unwittingly pass them on.
6 WNY Family September 2019
Remember, your child is not you. That
was then, this is now. By confronting
and releasing any back-to-school skel-
etons in your closet, you open the doors
to a positive school
experience for your
child today.
2) Step back.
Some parents have
trouble trusting that a
school will care about
their child as much
as they do. And it’s
true — teachers won’t
treat your child like
a parent would. They
will probably expect
more. And they will
care about your child
as educational profes-
sionals, who want to
challenge your child
so she can realize her
potential, so let them
do their jobs.
Have a working knowledge of the
school layout. Introduce yourself to
teachers on Open House days and meet
the folks who work in the front office,
including the principal.
Make sure the teacher knows you
are on her team. If you have a miscom-
munication or misunderstanding with a
teacher or administrator, strive to work
things out in a calm, proactive manner.
Don’t hang on to negative perceptions
or try to create negative consensus with
other parents.
Did You
“Love” School?
Maybe you think ‘love’
is a word that should
be reserved for family
and religion. But if
your child does not
love learning by the
time he or she gradu-
ates from elementary
school, you may be in
for a long uphill climb
in middle school, high
school, and college.
Keep your attitude
towards academics
upbeat if you want to
instill a lifelong love of
learning in your child.
Smart
parents
know that school is
not just about academics. When your
child is in school, she is learning how
to be a member of a community. She
is learning how to socialize and enjoy
playtime. She is learning how to ex-
Confident, secure par-
ents seek solutions not
squabbles. Put yourself in
the teacher or administra-
tor’s shoes before you pick
up the phone or shoot off
that e-mail. Remember,
the way you would like
to be treated is the way to
behave, always, no matter
how you feel in the heat of
the moment.
4) Give without
strings. Whether you work
full time or not, there are
typically two types of par-
ent volunteers: those who
willingly pitch in and help,
and those who don’t want
to spend time at school but
do it for their kids. Be hon-
est about the kind of parent you are, so
you can find ways to be a cheerful con-
tributor to the school.
If you like to pitch in, join the PTA
or sign up to be a room parent. You will