Tips For Raising an Honor Student

Want to know how I raised my child to always do her best earning her a spot on the Gifted & Talented Math team? An Honor Role child doesn't just magically happen. It takes a lot of work at home as well. Here are some of the parenting tips that I followed religiously and found them to be extremely beneficial, particularly in the long run.

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Siobhan's Parenting Tips:

• The classical music in Baby Einstein videos I'm sure did nothing but help grow her mind & brain. I never put her in front of the T.V. or used the T.V. to babysit. However, there were some times I just needed a moment to myself, and this was the only thing she would watch.

• Always give them as much structure as you can. Even if it is just a schedule for their day. Having a bedtime routine is comfortable and soothing to a child.

• In the early stages, time-outs really do help and is a major one that pays off in the long run. My time-out practices were to sit her down at the kitchen table facing the oven clock and set the timer at minute per year of age, i.e. 2 years old is a 2-minute time-out, 3 years old is 3 minutes, etc. I did not start the timer until the tantrum stopped.

• Do NOT give in! They WILL test you.

• Be honest - so you never look like a liar and they will tend to trust you whether they admit it or not. I also found that honesty is also good so they can learn from your mistakes. But I think it is a key factor to let them know WHY you are being so honest.

• Praise. But don't over praise,

• Be specific. Use detail. Express your feelings of gratitude in their hard work. Tell them the specifics of why you liked their art work or how well you thought they did at their game and why.

• Teach them & share with them as much as you can. School does not teach us everything we need to know. Especially about life's lessons and mistakes.

• It's not about how much you spend at christmas time. It's about the special items you take the time to pick out and give them, no matter the cost. The receptive appreciation for a great christmas, that is a gift for you as well!

• Read to them. I read to Myah every single night before bed until she was 7 years old and started school. Then it became a little harder for me, but now she loves reading herself and keeps a whole library in her bedroom.

• Make your parent-teacher conferences. They will love the support. Find out if there is anything that needs to be worked on at home more often.

• Pay attention. Let them know you have their back. Take their side and support them as best you can.

• Do not enable. There can be a fine line.

• Always have chores - let them learn things by earning.

• Explain the importance of laughing. I also made it a point to let her know that the best thing she can do for her friends is to make them laugh.

• Take care of yourself to make sure you keep your own sanity so you can be a the amazing parent they need you to be! Try not to feel guilty! It is difficult.

• Enjoy them! Embrace them! Evolve with them! They are only young for so long before the tough world grabs hold of them and they grow up.

• & REMEMBER: If they are never mad at you, you're not doing it right! I actually have to remind myself a lot in order to stay sane and make sure I know that I am doing my best and am not in the wrong for making my child upset or disappointing her. She needs this stuff to grow and learn herself. We are just protecting them. They will see this when they are older. It just takes time.

I hope you find these as helpful as I have. Putting them to good use is a lot of hard work, usually mentally. But I promise, it does pay off in the end. You will have a child that always has a smile on, is smart, caring, kind, strong, and beautiful, inside & out, just like my little M.J.