“Ah… Finally!”ย ย
Term 3 is done and hello, school holidays! ย
No more school stuff. Just cool and fun times with friends and family this Spring. Or if your child happens to be in senior school, it’s all about entering Year 12 or facing their biggest assessment yet โ the HSC exams.ย ย
Two weeks might seem like a long enough time to get your child rested and recharged before another term. But the thing about holidays is that it moves crazy fast. Before you know it, your child is about to start Term 4, and they’ve only just thought about getting ready and ahead of the new term.ย ย
When it comes to the grind, high school students tend to warm up slowly at the beginning of each term. They only reach the peak of their motivation levels by the time they’re in mid-term.ย ย ย
Some parents simply accept this as an unchangeable fact or react when their child already manifests symptoms of unpreparedness. However, proactive parents know better than to sit idle and do nothing.ย ย ย
Teenagers donโt tend to organise themselves so most parents are going to need to remind them to do that extra pre-planning and motivation prepping to ensure their child is ready and equipped for the next term. ย
So, how do you become more proactive about your child’s holiday break? In this article, we share simple ways to maximise your child’s break and revive their motivation before starting Term 4. ย
#1. Celebrate! You and your child deserve it.ย ย
It has been a hectic previous term for both you and your child. Make sure to spend the holidays to celebrate their wins โ big or small.ย ย ย
When you acknowledge your child’s hard work and results from their efforts, it helps build their confidence to face another term. Celebrating and simply talking about their achievements also allows your child to reflect on their performance in the past term.ย ย
#2. Identify growth areas.ย ย ย
The holidays are also a great time to pinpoint where your child can grow. That doesn’t mean dwelling over subjects or areas where they didn’t do well. Use this time to ask your child what they struggled with and for their input about their past term results.ย ย ย
The key is to have an open dialogue that’s free of judgment. Most teenagers already find it hard to share their challenges on their own. Creating a safe space to have this discussion enables them to open themselves up and express their thoughts and needs.ย ย
#3. Active rest and recharge.ย ย
So many students we speak toย accidentally associate rest and recharging with idleness or complete withdrawal from responsibilities. However, sitting around doing nothing while the holiday clock runs out won’t benefit and prepare your child for another term.ย ย
Recharging is all about actively putting energy back into your child’s system. There are so many creative ways to recharge their ‘internal batteries’, such as engaging in hobbies, being outdoors and disconnecting from all-day device use. What’s important here is that you encourage your child to maintain a balanced routine.ย ย ย
#4. Early prevention for burnout.ย ย
Discussing the next term, especially Term 4, can be intense for some teenagers. There’s so much pressure in facing the HSC exams or the transition from Year 11 to Year 12. So, parents should be able to manage and guide their child from overwhelm and burnout.ย ย
When setting goals and planning for the next term, ensure that targets are realistic and steps are manageable for your child. Unattainable expectations and tasks always work against students, damaging their self-confidence and overall wellbeing.ย ย ย
#5. Map out a plan.ย ย
Once you’ve figured out your child’s growth areas and challenges, you’re able to create a plan and break down the steps for your child. It’s important to have a plan with actionable steps because it gives your child the knowledge and direction to progress.ย ย ย
If they know where to go and how to reach their goals, they’ll be much more motivated to do so. It also makes staying on track and focused a lot easier for students.ย ย
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Kalibrate-Ed’s team of education strategists are experts in tailoring study plans to students’ unique learning profiles. If you want to have a specialised study strategy for your child next term, we can do the heavy lifting for you.ย ย
Click here to schedule a quick session and to brainstorm ideas: https://calendly.com/kalibrate-ed/lets-chatย
