Is YOUR CHILD developing OK ?

In schools the teachers will keep you informed about your child's progress. Maybe you can give important help to your child, especially during the first school years with practice in reading, number work and other basic subjects.

The most important thing you can do is to show interest in your child's school work. Ask your child about it!

What did you do at school today? Did you enjoy any special lesson? Was there anything interesting you can tell me/us about?

It is important that you as a parent follow the development of your child through the first years of school, so you have some idea of your child's potential.

It is very, very difficult for parents to assess their child's potential. When asking the teachers you might not be very much wiser. A teacher cannot be certain about your child's potential and therefore has to play safe, not committing him /herself to any future decision.

When your child reaches the age of about 14 - or before - serious consideration has to be given to your child's future. Change of school? To which one? Where can you get the necessary professional advice? Which subjects should your child study? Is there a choice your child would like?

This is a crucial time for you and your child. It is most important that your child chooses the subjects he/she is interested in. In many cases children will choose the subjects taught by teachers they like, or the subjects their friends have chosen. This could spell disaster later!

Your child's future is important. Regardless of anything else, what are the subjects of most interest to your child? Science based? Language based? Practical based?

Whichever it is, this is what should be pursued in the interest of your child! It does not matter what you as a parent would like. Your child's interests come first! You might think it an excellent idea to study languages - just think of the possibilities at the UN or EU. If your child
would rather be a chef, a carpenter, an accountant or something else, please support your child all the way!

A colleague of mine started working life as a hairdresser. Nothing wrong in that. But the fact was that he hated it! He started the training in that trade because his parents went ballroom dancing with a hairdresser! After he was a
qualified hairdresser he went to evening schools, to qualify to start studying to be a teacher. He succeeded with the help of his wife, who worked as a secretary at that time. When he qualified as a teacher, this was success! He had reached his first major goal!

You have to let your child decide on his/her future. You can only give some guidance or ask for professional help to do this. As most children do not know at this early age, what
they want to do for the rest of their lives - and they will probably have to change course a few times during their working lives - it is advisable to let them study subjects which give them a number of choices at a later date. The
more choice they have later, the better!

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Credits: Carl Schyberg