Ensuring your child is academically, socially, emotionally, and financially prepared for post-secondary schooling, such as university, college, or trade school, is crucial. It gives them a strong foundation from which to learn, grow, and succeed in life.
Preparation can start at any age. Whether they’re just starting high school or they’re in the process of applying for colleges, it’s never too late to assist with post-secondary education. Here are some helpful tips to get started:
Teach Financial Responsibility
Even if you’ve created an RESP for your child to assist with their schooling costs, that doesn’t mean you can’t help them financially prepare for independent living and managing their own everyday costs.
Help them prepare financially by comparing tuition, housing, and scholarships, and talking openly about what your family can afford. Beyond school costs, it’s worthwhile to speak to them about money management, budgeting, how student loans and credit work, and the best ways to handle debit cards. When they understand how money works in its entirety, they may be less likely to make financial mistakes that follow them into adulthood.
Help Build Strong Academic Foundations
Your child’s secondary school teachers will already be assisting them in building strong academic foundations that prepare them for the transition from secondary to post-secondary learning. However, you can still help, especially when it comes to home study and course planning.
Help your child develop good study habits by establishing consistent homework routines and using planners to block time for study. Helping them with note-taking techniques can also be helpful. As they reach their senior secondary school years, it’s time to begin course planning and discussing their interests to help them choose the most suitable courses.
Teach Life Skills
It’s our job as parents to take care of our children, especially when they’re young. We cook, clean, do their laundry, and help them get ready for school. As they get older, they must learn to perform these tasks independently to develop the skills necessary for living by themselves. As hard as it can be to tone down your parental role, it’s crucial for ensuring your child can successfully live by themselves while studying. Now is a great time to ensure your child can:
- Do laundry
- Perform basic cooking with nutrition in mind
- Clean and organize
- Manage their time without reminders
- Establish a good sleep routine
Support Emotional Resilience
Many post-secondary courses can be demanding and stressful. Students can feel overwhelmed and unsure about their academic futures. You’ll always try to be there to support your child when they need it, but you can also teach them emotional resilience so they can handle challenging situations without you.
This involves supporting them with problem-solving and normalizing the act of seeking help. It can also mean practicing stress-management techniques such as journaling, exercise, and taking breaks.
When it comes to addressing problems within their school, encourage self-advocacy. Be there to guide them, but let them speak to their teachers themselves, and don’t intervene unless necessary.
You can try your best to guide your child throughout their life, but you can also provide them with a strong foundation to care for themselves. By teaching them life skills, money management, emotional resilience, and academic practices, you can be confident sending them to their post-secondary school of choice with everything they need to succeed.
