Guide for parents

A guide for parents of first-graders.

Tips and advice to help support your child as they begin their school journey.

Key rules for adaptation.

Between the ages of 6 and 7, brain mechanisms develop that enable a child to succeed in learning. Doctors believe that at this time, it is very difficult for a child to cope with themselves. However, serious emotional breakdowns and illnesses can be avoided by following the simplest rules.

Never enroll a child in both first grade and an extracurricular activity or club at the same time. Starting school is a significant stress. If a young child doesn’t have the opportunity to play, relax, and do homework at their own pace, it can lead to health problems and neuroses. If music or sports are important to you, start taking them a year before they start school or in the second grade.

A child can concentrate for no more than 10–15 minutes. When doing homework, take breaks every 10–15 minutes for physical activity. Ask them to jump, run, or dance. Start with writing assignments, alternating them with oral tasks. The total duration of the study session should not exceed one hour.

According to ophthalmologists and neurologists worldwide, computer use, watching television, and any activities that require significant visual strain should be limited to no more than one hour per day.

More than anything else in their first year of school, your child needs support. They are forming relationships with those around them and developing their own sense of self. If you want them to grow into a calm and confident person, be sure to praise them. Offer encouragement, and don’t scold them for bad grades or messy notebooks. Constant criticism and punishment can cause a child to lose faith in themselves.

Here are a few important rules.

  • Show your child that you love them for who they are, not for their accomplishments.
  • Never tell a child that they are worse than others.
  • Answer any questions your child has honestly and patiently.
  • Make time each day to spend some quality one-on-one time with your child.
  • Teach your child to communicate freely not only with their peers but also with adults.
  • Don’t hesitate to emphasize how proud you are of them.
  • Always tell the child the truth, even when it’s not in your best interest.
  • Judge only actions, not the child themselves.
  • Don’t force success. Coercion is the worst approach to raising children.
  • Acknowledge a child’s right to make mistakes.

How to do homework properly.

These techniques will help you avoid the negative emotions that often accompany the process of doing homework.

Create a schedule.

A clear daily routine helps children. Decide together when to do homework and stick to the schedule. Check the completed assignments – this gives the child a sense of confidence.

Assign the tasks.

Help your child prioritize tasks. Suggest which task to do first and which to do second. This teaches planning and a quality-focused approach.

Don’t be overbearing.

Don’t make your child dependent on your presence. Gradually increase the distance, allowing them to learn to work independently. This is an important skill for school.

Start with praise.

When reviewing someone’s work, start by pointing out what they did well. Discuss errors in a constructive manner, suggesting that they review it again. This will motivate them rather than intimidate them.

Don’t stay up too late.

If a child spends hours working on an assignment without making any progress, stop the activity. They may not have understood the material, or they may have developed a feeling of helplessness. Let the teacher know about this.

Strategies for a textbook.

Before reading the paragraph, discuss the questions at the end of the chapter with your child. This will help them focus on the important information. The more senses are involved, the better the material will be understood.

Raising children with consideration for gender differences.

Universal principles of education.

  • 1. Mood: Never start disciplining a child when you are in a bad mood.
  • 2. Objective: Clearly define what you expect from your child, and find out what their opinion is.
  • 3. Independence: Give your child the opportunity to be independent; help them, but don’t do things for them.
  • 4. The path to a solution: Don’t provide ready-made solutions; instead, show possible approaches.
  • 5. Success: Don’t miss the moment when your child achieves their first success.
  • 6. Focus on actions, not personality: Judge the action, not the child’s character.
  • 7. Differences: Remember that you are dealing with a boy or a girl. You need to raise, educate, and love them in different ways. But most importantly, you need to love them very much.

Peculiarities of raising boys and girls.

Boys.
  • Let’s give tasks that require ingenuity and problem-solving skills.
  • Don’t just tell, show.
  • Keep in mind their emotional sensitivity.
  • When scolding, be brief and precise – they quickly “tune out” what you’re saying.
Girls.
  • Understand the principle behind completing the task before you start working on it.
  • Learn to act independently, rather than just following established patterns.
  • Tantrums can be a sign of fatigue, rather than a bad character.
  • When scolding, first calmly explain the mistake, as an emotional reaction will prevent them from understanding the core issue.