Life at ICS

Meeting Your Kids’ “MDRs” for High Performance at School

In his new book, Come on People: On the Path From Victims to Victors, Bill Cosby says, “Our kids, thank God, don’t ask for a resume or for references.” Nonetheless, our children do come with unspoken high expectations of us. Even first thing in the morning. So it’s our parental obligation to see to their MDRs – Minimum Daily Requirements – to help prepare them for high performance at school. And the good news is, all it really takes is an adjustment in routine.

For your children to get their MDRs for scholastic success, make sure that they…

1. Finish their homework every night. Don’t hesitate to get involved with your children’s homework. See what they have to do, answer any questions (as best you can; remember, it’s your interest that counts) to help them understand their assignments, and emphasize quality output. You set the standard. If you show you value their education, they’ll value it, too. (Please note that ICS parents are encouraged to maintain email and/or phone contact with their children’s teachers to help track homework.)

2. Get a good night’s sleep. For grade school children, that means at least 8 hours as the bare minimum. Growing young minds need rest. Dependent upon the age of the child, after 9 p.m. and no later than 10 p.m., there should be no online activity, computer games, cell phone calls or text messaging to friends, and no TV.

3. Have adequate time to wake up and get ready for school. A rushed, chaotic morning at home does little more than make kids cranky. Establishing a reasonably comfortable pace will work in the best interests of getting your young scholars out the door with everything they need (please don’t forget to make sure they have their school supplies for the day) and most important, with the least amount of stress.

4. Clean and dress appropriately. Your children are required to be in complete compliance with the school dress code per the ICS Student, Family, and Teacher Contract. As well, they should be practicing good daily hygiene. Check to see that your children have brushed their teeth, combed their hair, and washed sufficiently. Just like adults, when kids look good, they feel good about themselves, too.

5. Eat a healthy, well-balanced breakfast. Protein helps awaken minds for full productivity. Sugary breakfasts provide only short-term energy. Then the kids “crash” all too soon and are less able to sustain their attention in class. Remember, breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

6. Receive an encouraging word when you drop them off at school. We can all use a daily dose of encouragement. Attitude is everything, even – if not especially – for children.

Granted, getting your kids ready to excel each morning isn’t always easy; sometimes it’s like herding cats. To make things even more complicated, parents need to prepare for the day ahead, too. But as long as we see to our children’s MDR for high performance at school, then we’ve done our best to prepare them for academic achievement – resume or not!

Posted Wed Jan 02 at 8:25 am