Parents are the greatest gifts from God to their young ones. They shower their blessings, unconditional love, and affection towards their children. Parents play a vital role in shaping and moulding the behaviour and nature of their children. 

Source of motivation, inspiration

Parents showing a positive attitude toward education at home, act as a source of inspiration to their children to adopt better behaviour in the classroom. Pupils who feel their education is worthwhile at home, are more motivated to behave well in school and focus on their studies. It is important to note that many factors can contribute to a child’s development and academic performance, and each child is unique. However, parental involvement can be a powerful influence. By being actively involved in their children’s education, parents can help to ensure their children are engaged and motivated to learn.

Role models

 Parents should instill values and morals to help their children make good decisions as they grow older. In this very context, parents’ role involves being a teacher, a friend, a disciplinarian, and most importantly, a role model. By fulfilling your responsibilities as a parent, you’ll be able to raise happy and well-rounded children who will become successful adults able to thrive both academically and socially. 

On the contrary, some parents do not set aside time to have fun with their children and do not even bother to ask how they are coping with their schoolwork. All that such parents do is only pack the child’s lunch box, drop them off early at school (or pick them up after school), or perhaps escort them to be dumped in the hostel dungeon, expecting the child to perform a miracle not knowing the child is academically marginalised. 

Such learners tend to be problematic to both teachers and other pupils at school and usually become thugs who violate school rules, exhibiting unruly behaviours. 

Surprisingly, some parents crucify the innocent teachers when they are summoned to a hearing of their child’s waywardness because they have decided to leave their children to grow as wild plants (morwa vavo kwaherera vanavavo mpereyungu). 

Creating a routine and a conducive environment: parents can create a routine and stick to it. For example, helping them draft a study timetable, this will help them stay focused, organised, and motivated, especially if they are struggling with learning. Make sure to include breaks for physical activity and downtime so they don’t get too overwhelmed or burned out. This means a good parent can make all the difference in a child’s academic success. They can create a conducive and enriching learning environment that will help children thrive academically, inspire them to reach new heights, and instill in them a lifelong love of learning.

Inculcating a positive mind and spirit: parents must be positive about school. If parents have a negative attitude towards schooling, it will rub off on their children and make them less likely to enjoy going to school each day. Active involvement in children’s education can help to secure beneficial results in many aspects. Various scholars and those with the know how revealed that regular engagement of parents in children’s education increases the chance of their academic success irrespective of their background and socioeconomic status. 

This implies that when parents prioritise education and speak positively, it influences and familiarises the children with the positive attitude that prevails in their everyday environment both at home and school. Such children have higher aspirations, better attendance, and behaviour, get better grades, demonstrate better social skills, and adapt better to school organisational culture and climate.

Guidance, support 

It is no secret that children learn best when their parents are involved in their education. There are many ways that parents can guide and support their child’s education. They can help with homework, attend school functions, volunteer in the classroom, check their test marks, check their activity books and report cards, and be active members of the school board or other school organisations. 

Moreover, it is also your responsibility as a parent to provide for physical and material needs such as stationery, toiletries, food, shelter, and clothing. In the same connection, parents can guide their children in selecting educational subjects for their area of specialisation. This includes choosing among traditional academic subjects like math, science, history, geography, agriculture, and English, along with less traditional art, music, and physical education. Parents must acknowledge that all areas of specialisations are equally important and consider their children’s interests and strengths while selecting educational subjects and encourage them to choose specialisation areas which children themselves feels capable of pursuing and not force them into math and science against their will, simply because ‘I saw my neighbours children are studying nursing’.

All these activities send a message to your child that you value their education and are invested in their success. When children see that their parents are involved in their schooling, they understand that it is important to them. 

This implies that parental involvement provides opportunities for children to model appropriate behaviour. For example, if they see their parents being respectful to teachers and engaged at school functions, they will be more likely to do the same. 

Effective communication: When parents are involved in their children’s education, it helps to create a sense of partnership between the school and the family. This can lead to better communication and collaboration between parents and teachers, ultimately benefiting the child’s learning experience. Meaning that, when parents are involved, teachers can reach out to them with concerns or updates about their child’s progress. This communication helps ensure that problems are caught early and addressed quickly. 

Furthermore, it lets parents know when their child is doing well so they can praise them for a job well done. One may concur with us that children whose parents are involved in their schooling tend to exhibit better social skills and experience fewer behavioural problems both inside and outside of school. 

Dear parents! If you want your child to succeed, academically make sure you stay involved in their education. This will help them stay motivated and confident in their abilities throughout their educational journey. Do not only blame them when they bring to you a failed report card, of which you can’t even explain how they obtained it!

On a serious note, lack of parental involvement in the education of their children may lead to the development of violent and aggressive behaviour in children in school, adopting the prevailing environment of intolerance they experience daily. This further suggests that children whose parents are not involved in their education are more likely to become “unruly outcasts”, struggle academically, and exhibit deficiencies in every area of life, emotionally and socially. Notwithstanding, finding a centre of balance between being involved in your child’s education and allowing them to take responsibility for their learning without hindering the teachers and children from acting in their roles individually is of paramount importance. 

One may concur with us that; the role of parents in educating their children needs to be supportive and proactive. By encouraging the children to explore a wide range of subjects, parents can help to ensure that their children receive a well-rounded and meaningful education that prepares them for a brighter future in the Land of the Brave. 

As the sayings go, “Charity begins at home and a stitch in time saves nine!” 

*Petrus Mwambu is an academician, educator, researcher, and scholar. He holds a Master of Arts in Educational Management, Leadership, and several qualifications in education. The views expressed in this article are his own.