How To Use Visiting Day Well
Oct 26, 2003
Visiting day is an opportunity, which you dare not miss. For parents with children in boarding schools, it is a day, which every child looks forward to with great expectation.
Visiting day is an opportunity, which you dare not miss. For parents with children in boarding schools, it is a day, which every child looks forward to with great expectation.
Your child simply wants to see you and your failure to turn up may deliver a hard blow that the child may take long to recover from.
Did you know that your child could be depressed and even affected academically as a result of your failure to turn up on the visiting day?
Well children are very sensitive and your failure to pay your child a visit at school may be interpreted by the child as a sign of rejection. Parental rejection (or any sign of it) is an experience, which destabilises every child emotionally and academically. Lets delve a little deeper into what lies behind a visiting day.
It is a day, which enables you to not only interact with your child’s teachers but also opens your eyes on the child’s educational issues. It enables you to assess your input as a stakeholder in your child’s education.
Without doubt, there is need for you to make some preparation for a visiting day and not just wake up and drive to school. Lets share some tips, which would enable you to prepare and face this term’s visiting day appropriately.
l In addition to carrying a delicious meal to share with your child, you can use the opportunity to assess the child’s academic work.
l Sit with your child and go through the exercise books keenly and patiently. Discuss with the child the difficulties he/she faces in various topics. As you do this, state some of your concerns on a separate piece of paper.
l Read through the child’s test papers taking note of outstanding areas of weaknesses and strengths. Do not forget to compliment the child for every bit of improvement shown however small it might be.
l Do not ridicule or criticise your child for low marks. Use statements like ‘I am not happy with the marks you scored in Science. But I have confidence in you and I would like you to work hard and score higher.’
l See the respective subject teachers and discuss with them all your issues of concern. Teachers’ work is demanding and sacrificial in nature, they parent your child in your absence. Show an appreciation for the teacher’s work and resist the temptation of noticing the faults only.
l In case your child is in a boarding school, then a visiting day is a day of reunion and tightening family ties. Spend some quality time with your child and create an atmosphere of free communication and interaction as you feast on that delicious meal. This creates a sense of belonging and strengthens the family bonds.
Do you see how important it is for you to visit your child at school personally? You are free to delegate other duties at home but only you should play your parental role!
Ends
Your child simply wants to see you and your failure to turn up may deliver a hard blow that the child may take long to recover from.
Did you know that your child could be depressed and even affected academically as a result of your failure to turn up on the visiting day?
Well children are very sensitive and your failure to pay your child a visit at school may be interpreted by the child as a sign of rejection. Parental rejection (or any sign of it) is an experience, which destabilises every child emotionally and academically. Lets delve a little deeper into what lies behind a visiting day.
It is a day, which enables you to not only interact with your child’s teachers but also opens your eyes on the child’s educational issues. It enables you to assess your input as a stakeholder in your child’s education.
Without doubt, there is need for you to make some preparation for a visiting day and not just wake up and drive to school. Lets share some tips, which would enable you to prepare and face this term’s visiting day appropriately.
l In addition to carrying a delicious meal to share with your child, you can use the opportunity to assess the child’s academic work.
l Sit with your child and go through the exercise books keenly and patiently. Discuss with the child the difficulties he/she faces in various topics. As you do this, state some of your concerns on a separate piece of paper.
l Read through the child’s test papers taking note of outstanding areas of weaknesses and strengths. Do not forget to compliment the child for every bit of improvement shown however small it might be.
l Do not ridicule or criticise your child for low marks. Use statements like ‘I am not happy with the marks you scored in Science. But I have confidence in you and I would like you to work hard and score higher.’
l See the respective subject teachers and discuss with them all your issues of concern. Teachers’ work is demanding and sacrificial in nature, they parent your child in your absence. Show an appreciation for the teacher’s work and resist the temptation of noticing the faults only.
l In case your child is in a boarding school, then a visiting day is a day of reunion and tightening family ties. Spend some quality time with your child and create an atmosphere of free communication and interaction as you feast on that delicious meal. This creates a sense of belonging and strengthens the family bonds.
Do you see how important it is for you to visit your child at school personally? You are free to delegate other duties at home but only you should play your parental role!
Ends