A parent had once joked how the
beginning of the school academic year was like preparing for running another
marathon! The routine work of having a child up and ready while helping him/her
cope with changes in terms of new circle of friends perhaps or introduction of
new subjects, supervising homework, election of extracurricular activities,
accompanying children to those activities.. The list is seemingly endless. What
undoubtedly though, gets many a parents’ goat are the myriad school projects that
begin as soon as the commencement of the academic session.
Science projects for developing a
volcano perhaps or preparing children for an internal competition, and the most
dreaded ones of dressing the child up for role play (as a cow, planet,
astronaut, fire engine..). Typically every standard until the early primary
grades from preschool onward have these dressing up role plays. And while it is
an opportunity for some very creatively inclined parents to dress their
children up the majority most working couples or those not endowed with much
creative prowess nor the will tend to make a swift dart to costume rental
shops. Not long ago, one parent had remarked, funnily enough, that she has a
costume rental professional on speed dial!
As funny these narratives may
seem, I am not entirely without empathy and I certainly don’t believing in
quelling opinions for that matter. In fact, I believe schools should encourage
it. Have a healthy channel developed between the parents and the school. It may
be far easier to sit in an isolated cabin so the voices that reach you are the
faintest ones or the most familiar ones that didn’t need to drown. However, if
one acknowledges the role of the parents and its importance in helping in
achieving learning and behavioural outcomes in a child, the importance of
involving parents while making them realise their role and the significance of
it cannot be emphasized enough.
Any school programme is heavily
dependent on the parents of course for success of its curriculum based
objectives. So what the parent may see
as making or sourcing a cow costume is actually about getting a child
understand the difference of a cow vis a vis a goat or a buffalo. Also, at
least in the current day curriculum being followed by respectable schools, the
curriculum isn’t taught in isolation. Research has indicated the tremendous
impact parental involvement has proven in terms of learning outcomes and its
success.
Getting a costume ready and
helping the child revise the lines or give them to him/her gets beyond just
making a costume. Here, you help connecting with your child with a part that
she does without you (going to school – especially in the initial years),
thereby acknowledging her milestones and achievements which act as a morale
booster for the child. S/he feels accountable for the number of hours she puts
into school or any other activity. This role should progress as a healthy one
with a minimal amount of dependence on the child to get the project done but
not in any way to dream bigger or look for answers that evade them. But not by
providing with the solutions.
Years later, when they are ready
to leave the beautiful nest you had created not only should they soar but also
know that at times some flights need to be taken independently and some as a
flock, and that their journey is important!
