Working around kids can be tough. When schedules collide, moms and dads can find themselves stressed beyond recognition. Instructors find themselves in difficult situations as their careers in education become a lifetime of stress, frustration and reward.
Small children can be hard to work with when trying to simply study for an exam or do research for an intense paper. Students who have difficulties already in school can find that time management is completely out of their control, as well their concentration. More often than not, these students will drop out of school seeing it as a time in their lives that simply is not ready for a secondary education.
Teens can be easier to work with. Between social media websites, texting, phones, apps, friends, sports, and whatever they can find themselves involved in, teenagers and early adolescents are busier than we ever were three decades ago. As a parent, your own homework may coincide with what your teen has to do. Sometimes, they may even be able to reverse the roles and help you with your homework instead of you looking at theirs like it was another language.
Algebra, social studies, even English classes can be difficult. Working with grammar and sentence structure may be difficult now, but as an adult you already know what you’re doing. Imagine the three year old who is still learning to put sentences together, repeating what they hear, and going “with the flow”. Working with your toddler as you remember how to put together a well structured sentence helps you, helps them, and creates extra bonding time with them.
As you begin your college life, remember that everything around you is an opportunity to learn. It is equally an opportunity to open up to your family, creating an environment of bonding and liveliness that didn’t seem to exist before. Children are essential to life, even if it means having them help you along the way.