How to Help Your Child Develop a Positive Attitude to School*

Do you have a constant battle with your children to get them up and off to school?  Do they often complain about school work or their teachers? Do they have a melt down when it comes to buying back to school shirts?

These feelings towards school are common amongst children and teenagers; however it is important that this negative attitude isn’t overlooked.

A positive attitude towards school can have a huge influence on your child’s educational success and help them to develop a number of important life skills.

Here are three strategies suggested by Banstead Prep School in Surrey, to help your child develop a positive attitude towards school…

Share your positive school experiences

Share your own positive school experiences with your children. Discuss your favourite subjects, what books you remember reading, or tell them about your favourite teacher and why they were so influential. Try to share examples of how being successful at school can lead to other achievements and greater opportunities in the future.

Have a good relationship with their teachers

By having a good relationship with your child’s teachers can result in a fantastic support system that works at both home and school. You can demonstrate this to your young child by buying end of year gifts such as teacher shirts or teacher t shirts. As they get older they can attend their parent evenings to see how you their parent and their teacher interacts.

Talk things through

If your child is having problems at school and doesn’t know how to resolve their issues, this can lead to feelings of stress and anxiety, which can have a detrimental effect on their education.
Give your child time, each day to talk to you about school. Ask them about their day and let them know that you are always there to listen. This is also a good opportunity to teach your children about problem-solving and help them to see the possible solutions to their problems.

Demonstrate a positive attitude

It is easy to complain about your own personal life; we all have our moments! However, try to avoid complaining in front of your children. Providing a positive environment will help to encourage your child to think positively.

Tell your children about the good experiences from your day and ask them to share theirs. Talking about those fun or interesting parts of their day will help to reinforce good feelings towards school.