OK – well for a start I really don’t have any top tips on how to make your children revise because I genuinely believe that unless they really want to do it themselves then you haven’t got a hope in hell of cramming anything into their heads. Yes you can provide the right environment, feed and water them and buy them colour co-ordinated files, but thats about it.
Or you could throw money at the problem and/or threaten them with all manner of scary approach. For example:
1. REVISION COURSES
I have just spent a fortune on a 3 day course for my teen son who felt he needed to understand “Mechanics” a bit better before his exam. It did briefly cross my mind that I wasn’t aware he was training to be a mechanic before he quietly explained that Mechanics was a large part of Maths A Level and very difficult to understand.
These sort of crash courses work quite well (I hope)
2. TUTORS
Private tutors cost a fortune but are another good way to avoid arguments and public humiliation by trying to teach the same thing yourself. They prefer a neutral person anyway. Would concentrate more and it is often worth the investment. My youngest had one for a while. Totally hated it but went anyway. I think it probably helped hugely with him passing his entrance exam.
3. HOME SCHOOLING
I have often used this as a desperate measure threat – it works every time. The thought of their mother teaching them to do anything other than bubble writing and tying their shoe laces was so abhorrent to them (note I had to look that word up for correct spelling) that it made them work MUCH harder. It hung over them like the thought of family counselling or a walk in the park with a dog that poo’s a lot.
4. BOARDING SCHOOL
Some schools offer week long revision courses or an introduction to the areas they are thinking about going – like law. I have friends whose children have hugely benefited but it is very expensive and you obviously have no control over what they do in the evenings.
5. THREATENING AND SHOUTING AND TYING THEM TO THE CHAIR
Personally I think this works well. Not the tying them to the chair bit – we won’t get away with that these days but shouting “GET ON WITH SOME BLOODY WORK” before you go out. Then it is important to go straight out so that you don’t know whether they have listened to you or not. There is no point in asking them because they will say they have whether they have or not “I’VE ALREADY DONE 3 BIOLOGY PAPERS” they will shout back at you, or ‘I’VE BEEN WORKING FOR FOUR HOURS ALREADY – BACK OFF!”
So you see? I have no answers.
Good luck.
Just rest assured that most of us get through it all in the end, with or without their parents involvement.
How much involvement do you think you should give as a parent?
Brother no. 1
April 11, 2011Make sure you give me plenty of time to tip off the You Tube camera crew before you take on teaching him mechanics. I’d like to see that…… Xx
Family Affairs
April 11, 2011I know. Would be very amusing for everybody else!! Lx
Crystal Jigsaw
April 11, 2011Oh yes, love the shouting at them to get on with it approach, for some that’s all that will work! I’m not sure Amy will do many exams because she can’t cope with that kind of pressure, but I’ll be going down the private tutor route if she does.
CJ xx
Expat Mum
April 11, 2011It’s a bit harder when they get to 18, but the Queenager often has to be told to give herself a break! What’s that all about?
15 year old boys who constantly get “could do a lot better” on their school reports however, are another issue altogether and we have resorted to subtle threats – like taking him out of his expensive private school where he’s clearly wasting our money, and putting him in the local (inner city, Chicago) high school, where he wouldn’t last five minutes.
Worked a treat!
Family Affairs
April 11, 2011Yes, thats a good one – but I’m too scared to use that on my kids as they’ll probably take me up on the offer! Lx
Jon Storey
April 11, 2011We find the “tying to chair” option works well.
The private tutor also had some benefit. (The everlasting penury is a bit of a downer though)!
Anna
April 12, 2011So they (the kids) did actually hate me(I used to work for a tutoring agency).
Family Affairs
April 12, 2011Not at all – you saved them from horrendous arguments with their parents – a very good thing Lx
Mum!
May 18, 2011Hi there, Brilliant blog! I wanted to subscribe your posts but dont seem to be able to find the option to do so? Please tell me if I am just being blind!
x
Family Affairs
May 18, 2011Thank you. I don’t know – is there an option to subscribe to posts? You mean like an RSS feed thingy? NO IDEA. Sorry. Lx
you tube view
September 30, 2011ya, its a amazing and it is very helpful for parents,i appreciate your efforts in compiling this article,thanks for sharing