As parents, you want to see your children succeed in their academics. Getting good grades opens so many doors for students and makes the path to university that much easier. However, as any parent knows, academics are not the only indicator for future success in the job market. What is equally as important, although much more difficult to teach, is life skills. So we are going to discuss here how homeschooling in Dubai or any where in the world can help you to train your child with these skills.

While a strong academic record will help students reach their goals in the classroom, most of life is spent in the workforce. Teaching and reinforcing life skills early helps students be better prepared for the stressful and difficult situations that are sure to arise in university and beyond. How should parents help prepare their children for the future job market and which life skills are some of the most important?

Time Management

One of the most crucial life skills for high school students to learn is time management. High school’s increased course load and stress is a wake up call for most students, but it is nothing compared to university or having a job! Help your student find an organizational system that works for them, and then give them space to independently complete their work. In the workforce, bosses rarely give employees gentle reminders to complete their work, so allowing your child to feel pressure and learn how to manage their tasks independently now is a great step towards success in the future. It has been observed that those students who have been involved in homeschooling system fully or partially; are more responsible in time planning and management. They are more self motivated and self driven, because this is the basic skills required for success in homeschooling.

Critical Thinking Skills

It can be really difficult to see your child struggling with a problem. And while as the parent, you probably have the answer, often that struggle can lead to your child developing a new skill. Critical thinking and problem solving is one of the most difficult life skills for parents (and teachers!) to teach students, but it is one of the most influential. Studies have shown that grit and determination to solve problems and achieve goals is one of the main indicators for future success.

Angela Duckworth, the researcher behind these studies, has said “It is a natural human instinct to shy away from mistake-making, from confusion, from challenge. And it is therefore the responsibility of the classroom teacher or school or community to make sure that kids understand that when they don’t want to do something that’s hard, when they don’t want to do something that will maybe not work out, and when they don’t want to quit things, that the first and most important thing is start from understanding and accepting that that is part of the struggle.”

If you give your child the ability to solve their own problems from an early age, it will give them the confidence to solve the bigger problems that are bound to crop up as they get older.

Independence

It can be difficult for students to feel like they have the ability to be independent when they haven’t had any practice. Specially in brick and mortar schooling system, the student has to strictly follow to school schedule as well as needs to be limited on course pace. While with online schooling system, the students feel more independent. Despite most kids desperately wanting to assert their independence, once they get it, they often struggle to cope with all the new things they are suddenly having to take care of on their own. Give your child tasks to do on their own that you might normally carry out. Grocery shopping for the family, managing the budget for an activity, calling and making appointments, or helping a younger sibling with their daily routine are all tasks that will help grow a sense of independence in your child.

Ask for Help and Advice

While of course you want your children to be independent, confident problem solvers, there are going to be times when they will need to ask for help. Many students struggle with asking for help or advice because they don’t want to appear as though they don’t have control over a situation. However, knowing when it’s time to ask for help and who to go to for advice are crucial life skills that will always be necessary. Always remind your child that it’s ok to ask for help and praise them when they do. Encourage them by letting them know that asking for help is a sign of maturity, not weakness. Set a good example of this by showing that you also need to ask for help sometimes! 

Self-reflection and analysis

Celebrating your child’s victories and supporting them when they fail is a natural aspect of parenting. Helping your child understand how they got to that point is a great way to help them learn how to create an environment for their own success. Studies show that examining past failures can reduce stress in the future. Whether or not a plan has gone accordingly, it’s helpful for students to be able to look back and explain why. Ask open-ended questions to get your child thinking about how a trying situation went, what could be done differently, and what went well.

Teaching life skills is a job for everyone in a child’s community. Teachers, learning coaches, tutors, and of course family members are all responsible for helping students gain the qualities that will help them through school and beyond.

Our academic team at iCademy Middle East keeps their focus on teaching academic as well as on life skills to our students. iCademy Middle East is KHDA Licensed American International School Dubai.