Parental Influence on Child’s Education

Years of studies, researchers have been able to prove that parents who are involved in their children's school work raise children who have better attendance and behaviour, get better grades, demonstrate better social skills and adapt better to school. It also more securely sets these students up to develop a lifelong love of learning, which researchers say is key to long-term success.

When we talk about parental influence, there are a lot to look at–the good and the bad influence–but before we go deeply, let’s define parenting and the influence as a singular role.

Parental influence.

Parenting is the process of raising children and providing them with protection and care in order to ensure their healthy development into adulthood, while influence is to affect or change how someone or something develops, behaves, or thinks. Now, parental influence basically refers to the impact that parents have on their children’s decisions, behaviours, and development.
Parents play a significant role in shaping their children’s academic achievement, personality development, etc. Here, we are going to talk about how parents can influence a child’s education or learning process.

Parental influence on child’s education

Parental influence on a child's education refers to the ways in which parents can impact their child's academic achievement and overall educational experience. This can include both direct and indirect influence, as well as both positive and negative influence.

Parental influence on children's education is profound and multifaceted. Parents play a critical role in shaping their children's attitudes, values, and academic success. They provide emotional support, encouragement, and guidance, which significantly impact a child's motivation and confidence in learning.
Additionally, parents' involvement in their children's education, either positively or negatively, has a profound effect on their children.

There are many ways parents can influence their child’s education; be it good or bad, negative or positive.

• Parental Illiteracy: Parents with limited literacy skills may struggle to support their children's education effectively, such as assisting with homework, attending parent-teacher conferences or communicating with teachers to know their children's performance, which can hinder their academic progress.
• Excessive screen time: Parents who allow unrestricted access to screens and digital devices may contribute to decreased academic performance, as excessive screen time can lead to distractions, reduced focus, and disrupted sleep patterns.
• Perfectionist tendencies: Parents who exhibit perfectionist tendencies and constantly criticise or micromanage their children's academic performance may inadvertently create a fear of failure and perfectionist mindset in their children, which can affect their learning and confidence. This can also cause stress and anxiety, which can negatively impact their child's performance in school

• Limited exposure to diverse perspectives: Parents who restrict their children’s exposure to diverse ideas, cultures, and viewpoints may limit their ability to think critically, empathise with others, and navigate complex issues, which are essential skills for success in education and beyond.
• Unrealistic career pressure: Parents who impose their own career aspirations or expectations on their children without considering their interests, strengths, and values may contribute to feelings of stress, dissatisfaction, and disengagement with education.
• Inconsistent discipline: When parents are inconsistent in how they discipline their child, it can lead to confusion and frustration, which can ultimately affect their child’s social and academic performance.

Positive parental influence on children's education include:

1. Emotional support: Providing a nurturing and supportive environment where children feel valued, loved, and encouraged, fosters their emotional well-being and motivates them to engage in learning.
2. Academic involvement: Parents who actively participate in their children’s education by helping with homework, attending parent-teacher conferences, and volunteering at school, demonstrate the importance of learning and create a collaborative partnership with educators.
3. Setting high and realistic expectations: Establishing realistic but challenging academic goals and expressing confidence in their children's abilities encourages them to strive for excellence and take ownership of their education.
4. Providing resources: Investing in educational resources such as books, technology, and extracurricular activities enriches children's learning experiences and expands their knowledge beyond the classroom.
5. Parents can encourage a love of learning to a child by providing a variety of learning opportunities both inside and outside of the classroom. This can include providing textbook/reading materials, a conducive study environment aside from school.
6. Parents can promote a growth mindset on a child by praising efforts, and progress rather than just results. Parents who provide guidance and mentorship to their children, helping them with decision making, goal setting and problem-solving skills can contribute to the child's overall academic success.
7. Parents serve as role models to their children. Children tend to learn by watching and imitating their parents' lives, however, parents can inspire a child by showing a positive attitude in all areas of life, not just academic ones.

Strategies in supporting a child's learning process

Parents can play a significant role in supporting their children's experiences in various ways. Here are some ways parents can help their children succeed in their education both in school and at home.

Create a Learning Environment

Designate a quiet, organised, and comfortable space in the home for learning. This area should be free from distractions and equipped with the necessary technology and materials.
This process will make it easier for a child to cultivate a good reading habit.

Establish a Routine

Help your child create a daily or weekly schedule for learning. This includes designated times for attending online classes, completing assignments, reading, and taking breaks.
This way, the child's educational life will be healthy because he/she will know when to read, and when to play.

Set Realistic Goals

Work with your child to set achievable goals for their learning journey. This could be completing a certain number of modules per week, improving grades in specific subjects, taking tests, memorising educational charts, or mastering new skills.

Monitor Progress

Stay informed and alert about your child's progress by regularly checking their learning platform, reviewing completed assignments, and communicating with teachers. This allows you to address any challenges early on. It would also make the parents know the child's weak point.

Provide Technical Support

Ensure that your child has the necessary tools and resources for learning, especially when learning online. Resources like reliable internet connection, a functioning device (computer, tablet, or laptop), and access to required software or apps.

Encourage Active Learning

Encourage your child to actively participate in class discussions, ask questions, and engage with course materials. This helps reinforce learning, deepen understanding and helps them build socialising skills.

Support Time Management Skills

Help your child learn to manage their time effectively by breaking down tasks into smaller, manageable chunks, setting deadlines, and prioritising assignments based on their importance. This will help them deal with deadlines when they're older, and help them build the time management skills.

Encourage Self-Discipline

Learning remotely like a home lesson requires self-discipline and motivation. Encourage your child to stay focused during online classes, minimise distractions, and teach them how to develop good study habits.

Provide Emotional Support

Learning can sometimes be challenging, and children may feel isolated or overwhelmed. Be there to offer emotional support, encouragement, and reassurance. Build the habit of always encouraging them. Tell them things like, they are the best, they are smart, and they are awesome. This will motivate them to constantly put in their best academically.

Supplement Learning with Activities

Balance learning with activities such as reading books, engaging in hands-on experiments, or exploring educational games and activities. This platform will make learning much more interesting and captivating.

Stay Engaged and Communicate

Regularly communicate with your child about their learning experience. Ask about their classes, assignments, and any challenges they may be facing. Show interest in what they are learning and offer guidance when needed.

By actively supporting and engaging with their child's learning experience, parents can help create a positive and successful learning environment at home for their kids, which will definitely nurture them in school.

Why parent influence is important in a child's education

There are reasons why parental influence is so important for child education and development.

• Children look to their parents as role models, so they’ll be more likely to emulate the behaviours and values that they see their parents modelling.
  Parents are typically the ones who set the tone for a child’s education, both in terms of academic achievement and personal growth.
• When parents are actively involved in their child’s education, it sends the message that education is important and that the child’s success is a top priority.

To sum up everything that has been stated so far, parents can have a significant influence on their children's education in several ways. This includes setting an example, creating a supportive home environment, advocating for their child's needs within the school system, providing a variety of learning opportunities, praising effort, modelling positive behaviour, establishing a routine, and supporting their child's extracurricular activities.

Conclusion

A child’s education can be greatly affected by their parent’s attitude towards learning. If a parent has a positive attitude towards learning, the child is more likely to view learning as an enjoyable and worthwhile activity.

However, if a parent has a negative attitude towards learning, the child may view it as a chore or something to be avoided. This can lead to the child disengaging from schoolwork, underperforming in class, and ultimately having a lower level of educational attainment, which could alter a child’s ability academically.

Providing opportunities for learning outside of school. This could include taking the child to museums, visiting historical sites, or even just going on nature walks. Children learn best when they're engaged and having fun, so these types of activities can be a great way to spark their interest in learning.

Additionally, parents can help their child by encouraging them to read, providing educational toys and games, and enrolling them in extracurricular activities.
While parents may not be able to control everything about their child's education, they can make a difference by taking an active role in supporting and advocating for their child's success. It's all about creating a supportive and nurturing environment for learning.

Parents can help their children to reach their full potential once they discover that their influence extends beyond the classroom and can impact every aspect of their child's life.