Little things that make a big difference

Quality, many times if not always, turns out to be more important than quantity. Let’s take the example of the parents who hardly spend any time with their children. Let’s suppose both parents work and they do it for many hours, so when they finally get home it is already late and they’re tired. What happens then? Well, supposing they don’t bring more work home and have some free time, maybe they decide to ask their child how the day was and to check if he has done his homework and give them a hand if necessary. They could even motivate him or punish him if there’s a reason for that. But that’s only a possibility, because these parents could also just sit down and watch TV or read the newspaper while they make sure his or her kid doesn’t bother them. They have had a hard day and they are too tired to pay attention to the stupid things a child cares about. Moreover, teachers are expected to do the parent’s job nowadays.

My experience tells me that parents who are directly involved? in their children education get better results than those who don’t. And this is not a question of time but a question of the quality of the time they spend with their children. Even if they spend fifteen minutes a day with them, that is going to make a big difference, because you’re going to make him feel special, as special as to make an effort to be with him when you are shattered and would rather be doing other things.