In terms of the weather, yesterday was not very good. It was cold; and it rained almost the whole day. In spite of the weather condition, however, I was very excited. For the first time, after hiding the good news from me for almost a week, my eldest daughter confided that she will be graduating this coming Sunday from her grade 9 class as the valedictorian.

This wonderful news did not come without lots of sleepless nights and frustrations. I say this for several reasons.

First, my daughters grade 9 class is very competitive. About 50 percent of the class is on the deans list consistently. Several students are vying for this prestigious recognition. It is not hard to conclude that several parents are expecting their child to be at the top as well.

Second, this is my eldest daughters first taste of a regular school. Since kindergarten, she had been home schooled.

Third, although the home schooling curriculum that weve taught our children is excellent in many ways, it is not perfect. We found out that the math subject was not adequate enough to prepare our daughters for the regular school. As a result, they struggled a bit during the first few weeks that they were at their present school.

Nevertheless, good news does come to those who persevere. As I reflect on this wonderful news, there are several things that I have gleaned on how to help your child succeed.

Children do not like to disappoint the people they love

Survey shows that children tend to blame themselves as the cause of their parents divorce. They conclude that the reason why their parents are divorced is because they did not behave well. Or they were not good enough.

From this survey it is safe to conclude that children do not like to disappoint the people they love. Given the right motivation and expectation, children will do well at school.

Show them proper support and motivation

Almost every night, I spend few hours helping my children with their home works. Before submitting their home works, they would request me to check it again and correct if necessary.

Every day I spend 2 hours driving them to and back from the school. I attend every meeting and assembly that the school holds. I regularly speak with their teachers to find out how my children are doing at school.

To show my appreciation for my childrens academic achievements, I buy them simple tokens to keep them motivated.

Discuss with them the value of a good education

I also remind my children about the importance of having a good education. I tell them that in this ever changing world one has to be educated to cope with the demands of every life. I tell them that a good education is the only asset that cannot be stolen.

The world is littered with stories of men and women who became prominent leaders and famous because of their love for learning. Men like Abraham Lincoln, Gandhi, and others. These people, in spite of their humble beginnings and limited means, saw learning as an instrument that would propel them to success. And it did.

So help your children to succeed by discussing with them the value of a good education. You will be glad you did.

Show interest in what they do

As Ive said earlier, children do not like to disappoint the people they love. When you show interest in what they are doing, especially when it comes to their school activities, children will try their best to do better.

Motivation is contagious. When children see that their parents are doing their best to support them, children will also do their best to be better.

Inviting their classmates over is another way of showing your interest to your childrens education.

Say Were proud of you!

Theres nothing more successful to boost your childrens confidence than saying, Were proud of you! This four word compliment is like a soothing massage to your childrens hearts at the end of a grueling school day. Say them with sincerity and love.

Pray for your childrens success

It is part of our familys tradition to have a family worship together. We often close our worship with a prayer. As far as I can remember, every time we have the chance to pray we pray for our children. We pray that God will grant them wisdom and desirable character. We pray that God will protect them everyday and grant them good health. And now we are seeing Gods answer to our prayers.

Regardless of your spiritual custom, prayer is a universal trait. So pray with and for your childrens success. And I believe that God will grant them.