Topics:

Financial Role Modeling Counts

The Pursuit of Excellence

Study Skills

Responsibilities teach us to be accountable for our behavior. Homework must be completed or grades will drop. Attend classes or get suspended.

As we grow older, responsibilities increase to prepare us for adult life.

By fulfilling our responsibilities, we develop personal integrity and self-esteem.

$ Develop a spending plan; modify when necessary.

$ Gather information from three sources when making a costly purchase and save in advance.

$ Avoid impulse buying.

$ Manage credit wisely -not to exceed 20% of net pay.

$ "Pay Yourself First" - be a saver rather than a spender.

$ Plan ahead for emergencies.

The Pursuit of Excellence

Responsible people strive for excellence. Parents expect excellence from their tweens. However, to expect excellence is to model excellence. Show the way by example and counsel.

By word and action, a parent can let their tween know that it's okay to make mistakes. Working hard at tasks and keeping at them until they are completed is a must. Additionally, doing a job as well as it can be done is important. This also applies when there is a shortage of time and resources. Work with what you have.

Furthermore, parents must demonstrate perseverance when an obstacle is encountered. From the experience, one might find a better or different way to do things. Lastly, good work habits mean putting time into work and developing knowledge and skills.

MODEL. ..MODEL. ..MODEL

Study Skills

There are many things that you can do as a parent to help your student be more successful. Study skills is one of those areas. The necessary accommodations to help your child achieve their highest potential are not complicated. Some are very simple, almost common sense. The investment is minimum for a huge return.

The very first thing you can do is to make sure that they are in the best shape to receive instruction. You should help them to get enough sleep, eat breakfast, and have a positive attitude about what they are going to learn and be able to do. The latter is probably the one that is a little more complex. Attitude comes from past experience and anticipation of future experience. You may have to help them do some "self-talk" to psyche themselves up if some of their past experience has not been positive.

Success comes from planning. Keeping an assignment or agenda book that includes short and long-term assignments, time management strategies, and goals. This is critical for a student in these complex, fast paced days.

A place to work is important. Studying should be done in a place that allows the maximum use of time -not in front of a TV. Some students do better in a place where there is some background noise like a radio playing, but not loudly.

The next important key to getting the most out of study time is when to study. Is it better right after school, or after dinner, or later in the evening? This is really an individual’s choice because of their involvement in a variety of activities. The hardest part is not to allow them to procrastinate. Encourage them to study for twenty minutes, then take a break, study for another twenty minutes and take a break, until all work is complete.

Techniques to study also have to be individualized. There are different learning styles. Some students can read something on their own and know it. Some students need to hear it and then they own it. Some students need to write it to master the information. Some need a combination of two or three methods. Experiment with what is best for your student. Have them read aloud, try writing key ideas, tape the lessons, or study with someone else.