Helping your Child Learn Without Stress

I thought of doing my own research and came up with my own article as to how my eldest son, PJ, will learn and enjoy school without feeling/becoming stressed. Since he'd be going to school this school opening or maybe next year when he turns four, I want him to have fun every moment of his school days.

A person, whether a child or an adult, is not really truly alive without stress. Call it great expectations. Name it pressure. Term it as big challenges. Whatever its label the result is the same: stress. But stress itself is not a bad thing. In all methods of learning there is stress.

Getting children learn effectively without any stress is a hard nut to crack. But one thing that is almost always true is that for children to learn, they should enjoy the learning process as much as possible. Being pressured to learn something will never make children wanting to learn - the most successful teaching is when learning almost comes as a by-product of enjoyment.

Here are some things you need to know on how your child can learn without becoming stressed.

Be responsive and communicative.

Listen to your children. Don't just talk to them, but communicate. Recognize and accept their needs. Show constant love, support and presence whether on successful times or during failures. Don't just reward them when they got an A+, praise them. Tell them how proud and happy you are. On the other hand, support them on times of trouble.

If they failed an exam or an experiment went wrong, allow them to express their feelings. What is important is for them to know that you are there and you love and support them.

Communication also means negotiating home rules, including consequences for rule breaking. Stick to the rules. Home rules are one of the ways in providing your kids a stable home environment. This bring opportunities for kids to learn their lesson in a proper way through their mistakes (if ever they intend to break the rules).

Encourage children to express feelings.

Allow children to release the pressure within them and offload their feelings. Respond to whatever they may be going through by letting them know that you are there and that you care. Let's say for instance, exams! They can pressure your children without you noticing it. Don't add to the pressure by forcing your kids to study. Ask, “What subject do you want to study first?”, “How do you want to study?” Listen attentively and calmly to whatever response your kids give – with patience, openness and interest.

If something went wrong at school, perhaps a conflict between your child and his classmate. Don't judge, blame, yell, lecture or tell your kids what they should have done instead. The focus is to let your children's concerns be heard. Encourage your kids to share the whole story by asking questions. Take your time but allow them to take their time first. Acknowledge whatever emotions your children are expressing, this will let them know and feel that their bright and dark sides are wholly accepted and welcome.

Have fun being together

Allow your kids to learn through play and encourage them to develop naturally their individual pace. Let them lead when they play and just follow, rather than trying to direct or teach them. Only them know what and when they are ready to learn.

Enjoy your kids' company and allow them to be themselves. Give them the empowering and comforting message through your interactions that they are enough.

Promote play as therapy.

Nurture the habit of continuous, self-directed play so that your kids have plenty of opportunities to benefit from play's therapeutic effect. As your kids grow, continue to offer lots of downtime between activities. Cherish daydreams and puttering.

You may suggest activities kids can do or encourage them to think of a couple of ideas. Support good ideas and add to them if needed. Ask, “How do you think this will work?” Sometimes talking, listening and feeling understood is all what your kids needed to have that will aid in their learning process.

Set up a daily routine.

Routines are good and they help alleviate stress. Setting up a regular get-up time, bath time and bedtime is essential at any age. It also helps children learn to develop routines themselves.

Along with routines, goes time management. It's important to encourage your children plenty of time to work on their studies if they want to do well, and this can save them from a lot of stress if they plan ahead with good management skills. Of course, you're there to guide them along the way.

Help children learn from their mistakes.

There must be a balance between setting limits, being open to communicating, and punishment. When children misbehave, and for sure they will, try to understand their behavior instead of merely punishing it. When children come to expect only punishment, they're not going to tell you what they are doing. Parents were created to be their little ones' gentle, emphatic leaders.

Get Organized

Encourage your children a system of organization even at an early age for note-taking, keeping track of assignments and other important papers. Being organized can give you and your children peace of mind that comes from knowing where everything is, remembering exam dates, and so on. Keep a calendar or a schedule, together with your children, for their school assignment, project deadlines – and you'll find it prevents a great deal of stress.

Make a pleasant study environment.

Begin with identifying which spot in the house your children are most comfortable to study. A soothing environment can reduce stress and help kids learn. You may play classical music as your kids study to soothe them, unless they find it distracting.

Give your kids enough sleep.

If you want your children's performance be optimum, then they need to be well-rested. Research shows that those who are deprived of sleep have more trouble learning and remembering. Power naps are great too. Make sure your kids can take power naps or not too tired before they study.

Hope this article will be of big help to you. I'll surely be happy to make more articles geared toward parenthood and schooling for my readers. :)