Happy new week to all the wonderful mums and dads out there. I'm excited to write about the important role mothers play in their children's education. This topic is particularly close to my heart because of a recent experience with my son.
His name is Benjamin, and he's 5 years old. I noticed that when I was a stay-at-home mom before I got a job, he was always the top student in his class. While I acknowledge that his father is very intelligent and Benjamin has inherited those genes, there’s more to his academic success.
When he used to come back from school, I would make sure he did his homework. I would also ask him quiz questions related to what he had learned that day. Because of this, my son typically ranked first or second in his class.
However, after I started working, I didn’t have the time to help him as much because by the time I got home, he was usually already in bed. Recently, when I checked his school performance, I noticed his position had dropped to either fifth or sixth.
I spent some time with him to identify his weaknesses, as he didn't seem to be struggling in school. I questioned him about why his grades had slipped. I wanted to know if the issue was related to his teacher because he had recently told me that his previous teacher left for another job and was replaced by someone new. In fact, I even visited his school to discuss his performance with the head teacher.
I realized that the problem wasn't with the new teacher, who is skilled and teaches well. The issue was that I no longer had the time to personally help him review and practice the lessons he learned at school, which would have helped him excel when tested.
To cut a long story short, I hired a tutor to help him with his studies when he got home. Although there was a slight improvement in his performance, it wasn't very significant.
I considered various tools to assist him, but I didn’t want to quit my job to spend more personal time with him, as I needed to help support the family financially. Quitting my job wasn't an option.
I found a solution that, while less stressful, could be very useful for working mums who have limited time to teach their kids. On Saturdays, when I'm not working, I got permission from his school to let him bring all his books home so we could review together. Reading repeatedly helps concepts stick, especially abstract ones.
To avoid leaving all the revision until the weekend, I dedicate an hour each day after I get home to review what he learned. On days when I don’t have time, I find educational YouTube videos for him to watch, which can supplement his learning.
I also taught him how to search for educational videos on YouTube. He is starting to improve. His sister, who is still in kindergarten, doesn’t have any issues because they only cover two or three topics per term, which are easy to memorize.
Through this method, I realized that every mother plays a crucial role in their child's education. Don't just rely on what your child learns in school; sometimes, you can serve as a reminder and reinforce their learning.
Thanks for reading. Have a lovely week. Cheers!
