#MyEarlyMorningThoughts: Parenting Insight

​Over the years parenting has taught me a lot and I've been able to see my weaknesses too! I have taken a more stern approach in parenting as they get older, but we all parent differently and that's 'ok'. We do the best we can most times because parenting is hard. As we send our kids off to school this year we all hope and pray that they will be safe and continue to grow in academics and maturity. A few things that help students succeed in school include: active monitoring by parents, having a positive relationship with the teacher, consistency, scheduled times at home for homework, and ensuring they take any medications as scheduled. Research shows that parents who are involved and monitor their child's academic process increase the chances of their child's success and those children tend to do better in school academically and in behavioral management. Taking this proactive approach most often decreases the amount of time the parent and teacher are compelled to be reactive. This also acts as a support and reinforcement to good behaviors that lead to improvement. Additionally, remember that it is best to respond to children, in the school setting, after draining off all emotion AND consistently applying consequences (even if that consequence is ignoring certain behaviors). Remember that every child is different and they all deserve the opportunity to grow and be successful. That success may look very different from child to child.