Building the College Student

A family should function as a unit, but sadly, many only exist as individuals with entirely different lives, living under one roof. Parents are expected to raise children to be responsible adults, not to pamper or cuddle them without furnishing any direction.

The real determining factor of a prepared college student revolves around control and freedom.

How well your child performs and adjusts to campus life has much to do with their life and upbringing in the years prior to that time, and it is essential to start early when preparing a youngster to grow into a responsible and successful adult.

Begin Teaching at a Young Age

From an early age, children should be taught that life is made up of times of both responsibility and fun. The understanding of the balance should begin no later than when a child begins to attend kindergarten. The biggest mistake a parent can make is to believe that because a child is small, they are not old enough to begin to learn responsibility.

Despite what some parents might believe, children who are directed to do chores and have regular activities to attribute to the family unit are much better adjusted and more prepared to meet the responsibilities and challenges they will encounter throughout life. It is also impossible for an individual to appreciate play time if they have never had any exposure to work time.

A Balanced Individual Makes a Better College Student

Children who learn the facts about work early give the least problems later, and they also typically work harder in school. When a child has the proper work/play balance in place, life as a parent becomes less stressful, and more time can be devoted to finding the best opportunities for the child.

Preparing a teen for college begins at the start of the structured education program, not in their junior or senior year of high school. Here are some tips about how better to create a responsible college student starting in the young years.

1. When teaching a child responsibility, begin with tasks that are easy but necessary. Brushing teeth, combing hair, dressing, and other simple tasks are the beginning of larger and more complicated tasks to come.

2. Always suit the chores and responsibilities to the age of the child. A job too complicated for the individual will result in a sense of failure and a negative attitude regarding the assignment of future tasks.

3. Praise them for a job well done, but constructively correct them regarding any inadequacies. A job that offers no reward even when done well can be a disappointment to a youngster, and reward does not necessarily have to be monetary.

4. Relate work at school with work at home to indicate that they are both important to the betterment of the child.

5. Make sure there is enough time for recreation and give as much freedom in that capacity as is reasonable in conjunction with other responsibilities such as homework and studying.

Picture a child even at the younger ages as an intelligent human being who has reasoning and the ability to make decisions. Remember that learning comes incrementally and requires loosening of the reins throughout the formative years.

When that young person is ready to leave home for college, it matters not that you still see the small child, as long as you have created the responsible adult prepared for the challenges and tasks that come with campus life.