by Happiness Hassan | Jun 10, 2021 | Family & Parenting
The aim of education is beyond the scope of learning to read and write. Therefore, as a parent who is still contemplating on how to choose the right school for your kids in Northern Nigeria, you would need to realize that education helps in cultivating the mind. To gain abilities, skills, knowledge that leads to physical, intellectual, emotional, spiritual, moral, and social development.
Presently, the population within Northern Nigeria states is increasing rapidly. This growth has paved the way for more educational institutions. Similarly, this change has thrown lots of parents into confusion about which school is best for their kids. However, a standard school isn’t measured by expensive fees, online presence, or the population of pupils, although there are factors to evaluate but shouldn’t be the basis. Hence, to make the right choice, consider the below factors.
How to Choose the Right School For Your Kids
1. Consider the Learning Environment
A conducive learning environment influences your child’s academic performance. Irrespective of how talented their teachers are, the learning environment matters. Subsequently, the health of your kids becomes liable to harmful Illnesses such as cholera, typhoid, asthma, and lots more as they learn in a congested and dirty environment.
Therefore, check out the interior and exterior outlook of the school before you register your kids. This should also include having a comfortable learning table and chair for their pupils.
2. Ensure the School has an Updated Curriculum
Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world
Nelson Mandela
In essence, we only get to see our world change when the teachings our kids receive in school are competent in combating our current world’s perplexing issues. Perhaps, what is taught is still similar to the curriculum used in the 90s. I advise you to retrace your steps from such school premises. In our twenty-first century, a standard school curriculum must have Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) inculcated into their syllabus.
This approach builds your kids to be creative thinkers and problem solvers.
3. Search for Schools With Quality Teachers
Furthermore, the learning process becomes fruitless when there are no teachers to transfer the knowledge. Similarly, an incompetent teacher will impact little knowledge on your kids. This kind of teacher would always skip topics that they don’t understand, which are important to the students. In other words, skilled teachers are needed to teach your kids.
Even as you ponder on how to choose the right school for your kids in Northern Nigeria, be reminded that your kids only excel in whatever topics they have been taught. In addition, inquire how often the school management organizes seminars and workshops to brace up the performance of their teachers.
4. Adequate Equipment must Be Available
Effective learning is achievable as the student can practise what is taught. However, beyond the theoretical aspect of education, a standard school should make provisions for workshops and scientific laboratories. This medium makes certain courses real to the students and improves their memory retention abilities.
In addition, it must have an updated library where teachers and students can research for more information.
5. Get the Testimonies of Others
What others are saying about a particular school tells a lot about the school. Their testimonies either positive or negative is an indicator for you to either proceed in registering your kids or reconsider your decisions. Therefore, ask questions that are centred on the relationship that exists between the school management, their teachers, pupils, and parents.
In a school where there is little or no regard for parents, the aftermath is often reflected in the way the pupils are treated—harshly.
6. Consider Their School Fees
It’s believed that all fingers aren’t equal. This same principle applies to humans. It makes no sense to go bankrupt to send your kids to school and compete with your friends and neighbours. We’ve earlier established the fact that expensive fees don’t equate to a standard educational system.
Therefore, there are standard schools with affordable fees out there. Besides, there are other family needs to solve. Thus, balance your financial chequebook and learn to cut your coat according to your size.
7. Extracurricular Activities
A standard school always creates room to develop their pupils beyond academic knowledge. Especially vocational skills. In recent times, those who excel at vocational skills have aided the eradication of poverty and brought about national development.
Therefore, as you consider how to choose the right school for your kids in Northern Nigeria, inquire about a school that teaches vocational skills such as art and craft, catering, textile and design, interior design, painting, tailoring, among others. In addition, teaches soft skills like time management, stress management, communication, and listening skills.
8. Consider the Proximity
How close is the school to your home? To select the right school for your kids, you should ensure that the school location is accessible, and its transportation fees cost less. You don’t have to go over long distances to get the right school for your kids simply look within.
Movement over long distances can cause stress on your kids, which in turn affects their academic performance.
9. Discipline is Another Factor to Consider
The school is a medium where kids are trained on the code of conduct that is acceptable within society. This could be achieved through regular orientation for their students. Therefore, a school with no discipline is a bait to lure your kids into waywardness. Furthermore, ensure that there are set rules and regulations against violence in the school such as bullying.
In essence, as you reconsider your decision on how to choose the right school for your kids in Northern Nigeria, consider a school with effective guidance and counselling units where the majority of wrong behaviours among kids are addressed.
10. Schools With High Security Should be Chosen Over Others
The safety of your kids in the twenty-first century can’t be overemphasized. Therefore, avoid schools that don’t have strict monitoring and checkup policies by qualified security personnel. This is because there have been cases where strangers disguise themselves as parents to kidnap kids from school.
In essence, go for schools where there is a legit identification before any child can be released. Also, beware of isolated schools, the kids in such schools are vulnerable to attacks.
11. Ratio of Teachers to Pupils
Students learn faster when they can relate with their teachers and ask questions on things they aren’t sure about. For instance, a class of 50 pupils handled by a single teacher won’t produce excellent students compared to a class of 20 handled by a teacher.
Therefore, to avert sabotaging your resources while your kids profit less from your efforts, avoid the school with a congested class population to a single teacher.
12. Consider Their Parent Teachers Association(PTA)
The educational system is not for students and teachers only. Parents also play an important factor in the growth of schools. That’s the essence of PTA in a school. This creates a medium for parents and teachers to discuss challenging issues, likewise, solutions.
In addition, as a parent, you get to air your view about things you aren’t comfortable with within a school during PTA meetings.
Conclusion
Education remains the fastest route to develop a child’s intellectual abilities, which leads to national advancement. That’s why it’s your responsibility as a parent or guidance to ensure they get educated in the right school. In addition, even as you reconsider the available options on how to choose the right school for your kids in Northern Nigeria, ensure the service rendered is worth your payment.
In addition, tell us what other factors did you consider before selecting a school for your child in the comments.
by Happiness Hassan | Jun 2, 2021 | Family & Parenting
Research has proven that to improve your child’s academic performance, parental support is greatly needed. It tends to augment what they are being taught at school. However, most parents have neglected their responsibility and assume the teachers must ensure their children are stable academically.
This mindset has caused a lot of havoc to the academic life of most children. In essence, a child with little or no parental support struggles to keep up academically.
1. Build a Winning Mindset in Your Kids
Are you the type of parents who regularly criticize their kids and address them with harsh words? If yes, you need to have a second thought about that. That kind of behaviour affects their self-esteem. The moment you give your kids reasons to dislike themselves, they become destabilized.
Similarly, their concentration at school will diminish drastically. Therefore, as a parent, your primary responsibility must be centred on building a confident mindset in your kids. Constantly remind them that they are brilliant and are destined for greatness.
2. Minimize the Level of Distractions Your Kids are Exposed To
As a parent don’t hesitate to cut off all unnecessary activities that don’t add quality value to your kids. Oftentimes when kids come back from school, having done their assignment the next agenda is spending the rest of the day in front of the screen, others on social media platforms.
Too much of these activities weaken the alertness of the brain. Therefore, as a parent keep all unnecessary activities under check to improve your child’s academic performance.
3. Assist in Doing Their Homework
To improve your child’s academic performance you need to assist them in solving their homework. It isn’t enough to tell them what to do—instead, join them.
However, beyond assisting step further in revising what they had been taught at school. This approach keeps their memory refreshed and improves their memory retention abilities.
4. Get a tutor for Your Kids if Necessary
The rate of assimilation differs from one individual to another. Hence, not every child understands what’s been taught immediately. If your kids happen to be in one of these categories, you would need to hire a tutor who would simplify the topics taught for easy understanding for your child.
In addition, unanswered classroom questions are solved during extra classes with their tutor.
5. Provide the Necessary Learning Tools
Expecting your child to perform excellently will be impossible without the right learning tools. Studying with the appropriate tool facilitates the learning process. This includes updated textbooks, a dictionary, mathematical sets, a conducive study environment, a comfortable reading table, and a chair among others.
You should create a mini home library for your kids where they can go to read and research.
6. Read, Read and Read
As a parent, inculcate reading habits into your kids by reading with them because you’re their main and first role model. This gives them the assurance that you value their academics. However, this period must be free from every form of distraction. In addition, you can create a book club or join one with your kids.
Book clubs are an effective medium to improve your child’s academic performance because educational and informative books are reviewed at book clubs.
7. Healthy Routine Boost Academic Performances
A healthy lifestyle boosts a child’s immune system. Just as a sick child wouldn’t be able to learn. This is because the whole body system is shut down. That child becomes committed to taking all kinds of treatments to feel better.
Therefore, it’s better prevented than cured. The necessary healthy routine includes:
Physical Exercise
Engaging in exercise pumps up endorphin hormones (feel-good hormones) in the brain and also disengages the mind from daily worries. Ensure you go with your kids for exercises that are suitable for them either running, walking, swimming, dancing, or climbing. In other words, once their brain is thinking right they can perform well academically.
Healthy Diet
The types of meals you feed your kids influence their reasoning ability. Most especially their breakfast before going to school in the morning.
As a parent, your kids shouldn’t go to school hungry or overfeed. Instead, give them a meal containing proteins, fibre, whole grain, and has low sugar content. These kinds of meals are a good starter before they go to school.
Adequate Rest
Kids need at least 8-10 hours of sleep to refresh their bodies and brains before going to school the following day. Don’t allow your kids to stay up late at night, busy with unnecessary things.
Similarly, you should not overburden your kids with house chores that result in extreme stress. Excess stress causes mental breakdown.
8. Use Incentives to Motivate Your Kids
Everyone is motivated to give their best when rewarded. Likewise, your kids will do better academically if there is a reward attached to their performance. Rewarding your kids inspires them to give their 100% attention to what is being taught at school. They begin to go the extra mile to beat the best and become the best just to obtain more rewards.
In addition, always praise your kids when they perform excellently well. Similarly, show and tell them how proud you’re of them.
9. Engage Your Kids In Brain Teasing Activities
Brain Teasing activities are sets of training that are mentally challenging and involve critical reasoning. Brainteasers improve your kid’s intelligence quotient and make them think through life challenges including their academic works. As a parent, keep your kids occupied with such activities. That includes puzzles, quantitative reasoning, quizzes, watching educational TV programs, and more.
10. Build A Healthy Relationship with Your Kids
The way you relate with the members of your family most especially with your kids is pivotal to their academic performance. Is the home hostile or peaceful? Do you employ violence means to discipline your child? All the above-mentioned activities inflict fear into the hearts of children and disorganize them emotionally and mentally.
They lose their concentration when this occurs. Therefore, your home should be welcoming and conducive. Every form of violence should be eradicated from the home. Instead, activities that increase the love bond should be craved after.
11. Master Effective Communication and Listening Skils
Furthermore, effective communication bridges the gap between you and your child. However, listening to them will improve your child’s academic performance. This approach makes it easier for them to relate their academic challenges with you. Subsequently, they become free to ask questions they are unsure about.
Therefore, avoid needless interruptions during those times.
Conclusion
Parents, do take out time to evaluate your kid’s academic performance and study pattern. This will guide you on what method to apply to improve your child’s academic performance. In addition, other aspects of their life mustn’t be abandoned such as their emotional quotient. Having a high emotional quotient augments other aspects of life including academic performances.
Also, endeavor to share your views in the comment section below.
by Happiness Hassan | May 7, 2021 | Family & Parenting
Tolerance is crucial when grooming kids. It keeps your emotions under control and prevents you from going crazy about kids’ annoying behaviours. Its true kids don’t always obey instructions given, most times they do the opposite and mess things up. Their unconscious irritable behaviours tend to prompt anger. Anger when not recognized and controlled yields to disaster and regrets. However, when you learn how to be patient with kids you become conscious of their natures, and how to relate with them appropriately.
How to be patient with kids does not just apply to parents. If there is a likelihood of mingling with kids as you go through your daily routine then this piece applies to you.
How to Be Patient With Your Kids
1. Realize That Life is a Process
Most adults have little or no tolerance for children. They have failed to understand that life is in stages and once upon a time they were kids. Childhood is a one-time experience for everyone. Nonetheless, kids are uniquely designed to view messy stuff as fun, such as throwing objects, scattering the home, if permitted lay in the mud, and lots more. Whereas adults feel the other way, they always want things to be arranged, neat, and put in order.
The truth remains that they won’t be children forever, as years go by they grow from being childish to thinking mature. At that stage, you wouldn’t have to chase them around before they do that which is expected. They unconsciously do it. Hence, don’t ruin the childhood stage of your kids, allow them to have fun, but keep an eye on them because kids can go the extra mile.
2. Minimize Expectations
Nothing is wrong with setting goals for your kids or expecting them to come out as the best in whatever they engage in with their peers. Mostly, sports and academic work. However, if your expectations are not lessened you’ll be in for disappointment when your kids fail to meet up to your set standard.
Their failure can make them face the consequences. This method doesn’t always go right! In essence, desire the best for your kids, support them in achieving it. If they don’t, instead of being angry, celebrate them for their current level and encourage your kids to put in more effort next time. Impatience never solves a problem rather it makes you angry and discourages your kids.
3. Focus On Their Strength Instead of Weaknesses
The root cause of impatience towards kids stems from emphasizing their weaknesses. You get irritated when your attempt to change this isn’t working. To ease that feeling you give in to punishing, forcing, yelling, flogging, and restricting your kids. Instead of doing it the hard way, focus more on their strength, help build them up in their area of uniqueness. Avoid comparing them to others who are better. When they advance in their strength their weaknesses begin to diminish.
4. Here is the Magic
Usman is 10years of age and a talented artist. His skills were admired by all. However, his passion begins to fade away due to no support from his parents and siblings. This was because he engages in bedwetting when asleep. Usman was called all hideous names and punished. Yet, he continued bedwetting. One day, a friend of his mother came to visit and told his mom a secret on how to be patient with kids.
His mom sat the entire family and further explained the method her friend advised her. From henceforth, rather than calling Usman names they all supported and encouraged his skills. They made statements like; “Usman is the best artist in the world” “The best artist doesn’t wet the bed”. To their amazement as they continued Usman gradually stopped bedwetting. So, building kids in the area of their strength is the fastest route to eliminating their weaknesses. You should try that!
5. Practice Patient at Other Things.
Your impatience with your kids might be a reflection of your lack of tolerance for other things. If you’re the type who gets angry at slight provocation, obviously your kid’s behaviour won’t make any difference. Stop retaliating when your kids mess things up and learn how to recognize your emotions and manage them. If you’re able to get your emotions under your control you would be more patient with other people and things; at work, within your neighbourhood, towards friends and your kids.
In addition, when stressed out, take time out, away from work and kids to prevent the transfer of aggression.
6. Put Yourself in Your Kids Shoes
How would you feel when you’re being punished for what you feel is right? Or yelled at? Or forced to go against your will? Or restricted from exploring? Certainly, you won’t feel happy or comfortable about it, you would feel deprived of your right. Now!
That’s exactly the way your kids think and feel when you’re not patient with them. Hence, before making them face the consequences of their actions, picture yourself in their shoes. This method would help you do the right thing.
7. Listen and Talk Things Out
Parents rarely get to listen to their kids, to know the reasons behind certain actions before passing judgment on them. You begin to understand your kids more as you pay attention to them and listen to what they have to say. Don’t be quick to punish them. You should sit them down and talk things out. Having heard their explanations. It’s your responsibility to make them know that what they did was wrong and also tell them what’s expected of them next time. Let them know the reason why you yelled at them or spanked them. This will help them avoid such mistakes next time.
Conclusion
How to be patient with kids will require great love for kids to scale through. Your love for them often regulates your emotions which includes impatience towards your kids. As a parent, you need to learn about activities that increase the bond with your kids. Also, parenting mistakes should be avoided. In addition, apologize more often whenever you lose control of your emotions towards your kids.
In addition, share your views regarding how to be patient with kids in the comment section below.
by Happiness Hassan | Apr 8, 2021 | Family & Parenting
Kids are expressions of the type of family they come from. Hence, it’s easy to detect when a child is brought up from a mannered home or a disorganized home by their behaviours. It’s the responsibility of parents to teach their children the proper way to live in society. This can’t be achieved when there is no bond between parents and their kids. However, there are various activities that help increase parents bonding with kids.
What Activities Increases the Bond Between Parents and Their Children?
1. Deactivate The Strict Mode
Parents in an attempt to discipline their children put on strict, unapproachable looks, most especially fathers. They believe such looks increase the level of honour and respect received from their children. However, this approach imprints fear into your kids and creates separation. Along the line, your kids become secretive about what’s going wrong with them, perhaps share with someone else.
Amina was sexually abused severally by her class teacher who claimed to tutor her for her entrance exams. Amina had no one to run to, not even her mom due to her parent’s unapproachable looks. She decided to retaliate and amid the struggle, he slammed her head against the metal door, she slumped and started bleeding profusely. Amina was taken to the hospital, where she regained her consciousness having received intense treatment.
Afterwards, the doctor discovered other damages done to her reproductive organs. Hence, he called her parents into his office and told them about their daughter’s conditions. Right in front of the doctors, her dad flared up in anger ready to bounce on Amina for living a promiscuous lifestyle at such a tender age.
However, the doctor who had earlier discussed with Amina calmed her parents and further explained how their daughter found herself in such a mess because of their strict behaviour towards her. As parents, they weren’t open to their daughter and that made her secretive about the issue. In essence, become free with your kids to prevent unfortunate future events.
2. Set Rules and Boundaries
This is an antidote to being strict with your kids. It’s helpful when rules are set to regulate your children’s activities. It makes them believe you care for them and want the best for them. For instance, permit your kids to go out and hang out with their friends at a stipulated time.
Due to the boundaries, they tend to return home on time with so much joy to share their experience with you. Hence, to know more about your kids don’t restrict or confine them within the walls of your house.
3. Play With Your Kids
Furthermore, parents bonding with kids is made easier when they play together with their kids. It is true children prefer to hang out with their peers compared to their parents, but it is made possible through the activities they engage in with their parents at home. The togetherness with your kids is strengthened when you play with them.
Such activities could include playing games, visiting recreational places, engaging in sporting activities, and lots more help to foster the bond.
4. Consider Their Opinions
Parents feel they know what’s best for their kids. However, to enhance the bond with your kids consider their perspectives. Be slow to shut them up without hearing the reason behind their choice.
Denying your kids of their freedom of choice decreases their creativity.
Hence, as responsible parents always support your kids. Perhaps, you perceive their choice might endanger them, make them understand through the application of the 7 C’s of communication.
5. Eat Together as a Family
As a family, the bond of love and unity is ignited when eating together. This provides a platform to boost the bond of love. Also, loosen the atmosphere a bit by complementing the meal and some table jokes.
Preferably, during this period offer to dish out the meal for your kids and observe their reaction while they eat. This is particularly more active during breakfast and dinner.
6. Show Love by Saying It
Never assume your kids know how much you love them by paying their bills. Move a step higher and show love through gifts, shopping together, helping with their school works, and engaging in craft activities together. Also, cultivate the habit of cuddling and patting your kids.
Most importantly tell them you love them countless times a day. Show your kids more love when they fail at doing something new, your act of love has the power to encourage them to try again and better. This will help parents in bonding well with their kids.
7. Prioritize Bedtime Stories
This might appear irrelevant, but it works accurately and it’s an effective method that boosts parents bonding with kids. Some of the benefits of bedtime stories include; learning moral lessons, increasing cognitive skills and more.
Seize their bedtime period, hop in bed with them, tell them a story, and say a word of prayers before leaving.
Fortunately, during bedtime stories, kids get to relax and open up to you about how their day went and things bothering them. Therefore, cherish bedtime stories.
8. Work Together With Your Kids
You would get to know more about your kids when you allow them to help around with the house chores. Instead of doing it all alone while your kids stay and watch you or play games, invite them to help you. Give them chores to work on.
Don’t feel as though you are stressing them out. I tell you, it’s a perfect way of grooming your kids to be hardworking and also drawing them closer to you, thereby increasing the bond with them.
9. Teach Them About Their Faith
Don’t abandon your kids to the teaching received from school or a nanny only, although nothing is wrong with learning from school. But, the knowledge communicated is limited and would not expatiate into their faith and belief systems.
Therefore, create time, probably thrice a week to sit with them and discuss at length the things you as a parent believes. This practice opens your kids to other perspectives.
10. Spend Quality Time With Your Kids
Always spend quality time with your kids by balancing your schedule. It is one way to enhance bonding with. When you claim to be busy for your kids they become vulnerable to improper advice from peers and other mediums.
In addition, parents bonding with kids is achievable when you’re always there for them. Most importantly, listen to their needs, and provide a solution to their problem.
Also, Practice a heart-heart chat once in a while with your kids.
11. Minimize Corporal Punishment
Raising kids is tasking to do, as a result of this most parents employ corporal punishment to discipline their children, when they go astray from the expected way of behaviour. However, corporal punishment indirectly creates a separation between you and your kids.
In essence, the level of discipline you give to your children should be maximized, don’t inflict injuries on your child in a bit to punish them for their wrong.
Conclusion
A strong bond between you and your kids can either increase or decrease based on how you treat and interact with your kids. Hence, the above-mentioned steps are ways of boosting the chances of parents bonding with kids. However, don’t become extremely lenient to correct them, to combat this, endeavour to set rules and guidelines to govern your relationship with your kids.
Finally, don’t forget to drop your comments regarding this post below.
