Times have changed and you, dear parents, have to learn to acknowledge that.
The world today is a whole lot different than it was before, I mean if you haven’t realized. We now live in a world centered around technology, Science, new inventions and what not. This has inevitably evolved education and communications and has changed how people live their day to day lives.
Here are a few reasons why this has made studying so, damn hard.
More Distractions Now than There Were Then
One thing that has become a ‘need’ for youngsters is an online presence. Face it, it’s how people today communicate, form meaningful relationships with people and work. This has become an important part of one’s life as it helps them to maintain their friendships and image, which could help them in their future work. As much as it is helpful to them, it may cost them quite a lot of time and thus, pose as distractions to their studies. Although, you should understand the importance of the new technologies today instead of dismissing them off as purely distractions.
The Syllabus is Becoming More Challenging
Parents, when you were studying back then, did you hear “Singapore has one of the top education systems in the world”? Well, Singapore actually has the world’s most rigorous education system today and students have to cope with this intensity. The syllabus of subjects have become more challenging, pushing students to their limits. Despite the recent changes to make it less pressurizing, such as the changes in the PSLE grading system and the removal of streaming, this does not eliminate the fact that what students are learning is any less difficult.
Parents Put Too Much Pressure on their Children to Perform Well
Studying alone, is already stressful. Yet, parents put extra stress on their children, wanting them to do well. Don’t get me wrong, wanting your child to perform well in school is a good thing, and learning to work under pressure is good for your child. However, boundaries have been crossed. It is sad that children today are so afraid of revealing their results to their parents, or even going home to face them after doing badly in school. This fear has even led to suicides and broken family relationships, as studies are primarily prioritized.
Among the younger children, parents often send their children for external classes for them to learn new skills, such as dance, or new instruments. Despite it being good for them, once again some parents suffocate their children by flooding their schedules with lessons. Give your children time to breathe and play while they can!
Stress Causes Mental Issues and Dangerous Addictions
CCAs, extra classes, homework, tuition… the list goes on. Students find that studies, especially in Secondary and Tertiary Education, is so rigorous to the point that, once they get home from school, it’s just homework and sleep. There is no outlet for stress, causing them to be overloaded and unmotivated. Mental issues such as depression and anxiety, and forming addictions to escape from the pressure, have resulted from this. The build-up of stress causes them to be easily irritated and affecting their relationships with their family and peers.
Parents Don’t Fully Understand Us
Of course, being a working parent is hard. Juggling work and caring for your child, handling the household and paying bills. Children being children, want to have fun in their lives and sometimes, they end up doing the wrong things or neglecting their studies. Getting angry and wanting to scold them is normal, but scold them for the right thing. Scolding them for making the wrong choice and not studying is fine, and will help them learn from their mistakes. Do not go on to tell them how difficult your life is, having to work and take care of them, yet they decide to make it harder. It is as good as saying you’re better off without them. When they are young, they make mistakes and learn from it, so teach them a lesson and move on, do not pour out a 1000 page essay on how they make your life tough. You decided on your own to have children anyway!
Here at Math Academia, we fully understand the challenges that students face while studying.
Our programs are designed to help them build a solid foundation in the subject such that they are able to learn with a good understanding of concepts and methods. We help to make learning a more enjoyable routine for our students and equip them well the necessary knowledge to ace their examinations. Having fun while learning is important to us as it helps students cope with the rigorous system, and prevents them from falling into dead ends. We acknowledge the student's weaknesses and touch on them, building them up.
In a Nutshell,
Studying is as much a hell of a ride as parenting, so be easy on your children. Life as children today is way different from what it was before and putting yourselves in their shoes is hard. Learn to be patient with them and understand that studying isn't all that easy today.
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