Well here we are, over half way there on our journey to 29 ways to affirm your children. For you OCD types, I apologize for using the prime number of 29 in every title. Maybe I will come up with a number 30 before we are through (but then I would have to go back and edit every title). Did I mention the number 29?
One thing I would like to stress is that these ideas are not a new to-do list to add to your busy schedule. Depending on your stage of life, we are all at varying points of busyness ranging from having some margin in our lives to very little margin to haven’t seen margin in a coon’s age. The point of these posts is to work this affirming approach to parenting into your normal activities. It is about making intentional choices in our actions and attitudes to relate as a family in affirming ways.
17. Make sure they keep up with their schoolwork. Just as in completing their chores, kids feel best about themselves when they have done the schoolwork that is required. Start early in the school year to check up on how your children are tracking with what is expected of them in their classes. Teach them not to procrastinate on their homework. Teach them to get started on those special projects that to them have a due date way into the future. We often stressed to our kids that the time they spend in school was their “work” just like Mom and Dad have workday responsibilities.
We did not expect academic perfection from our kids. But we did want their grades to be a true reflection of their God-given ability in academic areas not diminished by a lazy approach to their schoolwork. We wanted to see their best effort.
One way this translated to college was this idea of starting early in the semester on keeping up with the homework. Under the new freedom and social opportunities of being on your own, college homework can not only take a back seat; it can end up way in the trunk. And procrastinating to the end of the semester is as common as empty pizza boxes surrounding dormitory trash cans. But our kids did learn as they went along that getting off to a good start in seeking explanation for difficult concepts, keeping up with the reading, etc. did lead to some stress reduction when finals rolled around. Another important lesson for life in the adult world.