This question never fails to trigger thoughts and opinions from parents – how much is parental involvement needed for a child’s success?

The answer to this is clear. Parents need to participate in their children’s education to guarantee the latter’s success in school. Their concern should be not whether, but how and when they should be involved.

Why Parental Involvement is Important for a Child’s Success

1. Boosts Motivation and Behavior

Firstly, the presence of a parent keeps a child engaged and willing to persevere when studying becomes demoralizing. Their support gives their young ones a reason to push on when they feel overwhelmed by undoable homework. Children become motivated to succeed when there is a parental support system that they can rely on when schoolwork feels too much.

Children who experience involvement on a parental level have fewer behavioral issues than their peers. These often show up during early adolescence. Active participation in a child’s education reduces problems such as absenteeism and rebellion.

2. Engagement on a Personal Level

While kind teachers are critical for a child’s responsiveness and success in the classroom, parents help a young one to thrive on a personal level. They best understand their children’s needs, wants, and motivational triggers.

Indeed, studies show that parental involvement has a positive and profound effect on a child. Research proves that parental involvement contributes to a rise in attendance rates and by extension, test scores — however, the way they take part in their children’s education matters as well.

3. Boosts a Child’s Mental Well-Being

Parental nudge and involvement do a lot to increase a child’s mental well-being. It encourages self-esteem and releases undue personal stress.

4.Improves Relationships

Children grow when their family relationships are healthy and well-developed. They thrive when they have strong bonds with their parents. Involvement, namely parental, enables this connection.

5. Enhanced Social Skills

Research shows that a child’s behavior and social skills improve when their parents take part in their academic development.

This research, which explored the effect of involved parents on children with behavioral disorders, reveals that they do have an impact on children with EBD (Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties).

6. Acts as a Bridge to Real-World Activities

Involvement at a parental level can extend learning beyond the classroom. It acts as a bridge between the class and real-world activities. Parents who take the time to reinforce what teachers say about how to add dollars and cents can help their children apply the concept when they are shopping.



Adequately involved parents who are aware of what their children learn at school are in a better position to reinforce learning at home.

How Much Parental Involvement is Too Much

Involved parents are undoubtedly one of the main contributors to a student’s academic success. All parents fret over their children’s education, but how much involvement is too much?

Parents contribute to the academic success of their children when they take part in the learning process themselves. However, they may swing the pendulum too far. Micromanaging, handholding, and making excuses are signs that they have tried too hard to ensure their children’s academic success.

Ways for Parents to Be Involved with their Children’s Learning

How do concerned parents become adequately involved in their young ones’ education and success? These are some ideas that will help them to strike a balance and help their children realize their true potential.

1. Check-in, not Check-up

Monitoring children without micromanaging them is a fine art, and is the hallmark of successful parenting. Parents can and should contact their children’s teachers regularly about their grades and behavior, but should only do so when necessary. The children will understand the concern without the fear of being under constant watch.

Parents must walk a fine line when addressing misbehavior. There are times when they should discuss matters with their children’s teachers, but getting the children’s perspectives of incidents shows fairness.

2. Reward initiative

There comes a time when parents must loosen their grips on their children, and this can prove challenging. The middle school years are especially so because they have grown used to having only one teacher looking after them all the time. Middle school is a whole new world where they have to get to know different subject teachers.

Parents can help their tweens cope without being overly-involved. They can talk to their children about seeking help when necessary, and acknowledge them when they have contacted their teachers themselves.

Encourage your child to build a relationship with teachers so that they will feel more comfortable seeking help when necessary. Acknowledge a job well-done when your child meets with or emails a teacher herself. Discuss the positive feeling that comes when your child shows responsibility and independence.

3. Don’t micromanage

One key to being adequately involved is not to have too much of a good thing. Hard as it is, parents must let their children assume responsibility for themselves and their learning at some point. Children whose parents have always taken care of everything for them may not build the resilience they need to meet the challenges of life. They will be at a persistent loss without parents to solve their problems for them.

All said parental involvement is essential, but parents must exercise moderation. Balanced, adequate participation in children’s learning and activities is the key to their success.

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