We all want our children to be successful in life, and there are plenty of things that you can do to set up your child for success. Some of these might seem like serious lifestyle changes, but most are simpler than you might think. Here are three things that you can do right now to prepare your children to succeed in school and beyond.
Have Them Do Chores
Last year, nearly 10% of all U.S. households paid professional services to clean their homes. While we can’t exactly begrudge families for having professionals keep their homes clean, that convenience doesn’t outweigh the benefits of having your children do chores instead. Whether you have your children put away their toys when they’re done playing with them or you have your older children take out the garbage, they will benefit from these activities even if they don’t always like to do them. Doing chores teaches children self-discipline, develops motor skills, and helps them develop a healthier and cleaner lifestyle.
Encourage Them to Take Up Sports
Everyone needs to be physically active if they want to stay healthy, and children are no exception. If you have an energetic child at home who is always on the move, encourage them to take up a sport as a hobby. Sports provide children with excellent opportunities to get physical exercise, which is important as they grow and mature into young adults. It also allows them to relieve stress, socialize with other children, and just have fun doing something they enjoy.
It also doesn’t matter what kind of sport your child enjoys, either. Some children might like team sports such as hockey, basketball, or soccer, while others might enjoy more individual activities. For example, swimming is the fourth most-popular sport in the United States, and it mostly involves moving through the water and improving one’s own skills and technique. Yes, there are swim teams at middle schools and high schools across the country, but children can still enjoy swimming even if they’re only challenging themselves instead of competing with others.
Enroll Your Child in a Good School
Another great way to set your child up for success is to make sure that they are enrolled in a good school. If you have the means to do so, this might mean enrolling your child in a private school. According to the Condition of Education 2016 report, 4.1 million students were enrolled in private school from prekindergarten to eighth grade during the 2013-2104 school year. In the 2011-2012 school year, only 4 million students were enrolled in private schools, so the numbers are certainly on the rise. Private schools encourage greater parent involvement, a stronger sense of community, more individual attention from teachers, and access to more extracurricular activities. In other words, it’s a great investment for your child’s future.
If a private school seems to be beyond your means, you can still take the time to find a good school for your child. Do research into the public schools near you or where you wish to live, and see if you can enroll your child in one with a good reputation. On the other hand, if you still have your heart set on a private school for your child, you can always look into scholarship programs that can help with your child’s tuition.
These are just a few ways that you can set your child up for success. Overall, the most important thing is that you pay attention to your children and encourage them to live a happy and healthy lifestyle. These tips will certainly help with that, but most of it will be up to you and how you interact with your children. After all, they represent the future, and they deserve every opportunity to succeed.
