Punctuality, we know is the soul of a business. A student 's business at the moment is his/her education.
A student who forms that habit of always being punctual in all he does, never fails.
First he wakes up early and prepares for school. He is never late to the bus stop.
He is quick to write his essays, where he does not understand, he doesn't procrastinate but quick to meet the teachers for more explanations and he is never late to School. Some students though, come late to School and most times, it happens to be their parents' fault. I work in a School where discipline is enforced on late comers. When some of the students come late, their parents beg for them not to be disciplined. Instead, they ask that they themselves be disciplined.
This is one of the things killing the society. Many parents do not allow their children to take responsibility for their actions. I mean, how could a child come late to School, as late as past 8:45AM- sometimes the first lesson is over, yet the parents would not want the children to be reprimanded.
YOUR CHILD IS A REFLECTION OF YOUR ACTIONS.
No one knows it all in parenting and different parenting skills work for different families, However, we can inculcate what we want our children to be in future on them right now. Everywhere they go, they reflect the kind of training they have received , so it's important to teach them the right morals amidst pampering.
Recently, two students came very late to School. I accosted them and wanted to reprimand them .
I asked both of them why they were late. I didn't bother for one of them whom I know as a habitual late comer to explain much , instead I asked for the mother's phone number. When I called and asked why the child was brought very late to School, she said she can never wake him up. According to her, "anytime He wakes up and prepares for School", that's when she would drive him down. Just imagine.
But there was another student there, I haven't seen him come late before, so when I asked why he was late, he told me that he didn't prepare on time and his father said since he was late, he was going to teach him a lesson. He refused to drop him in School and asked that he treks down. To him, if he treks and gets to School very late and was disciplined, next time he would prepare early enough.
From where he claims to live, the distance to School is more than an hour walk. He learnt his lesson and am sure he wouldn't come late another day. I didn't discipline him though, I permitted him to run to his class.
But the other student who never prepared on time, ( I learnt he wakes up by 8AM), I gave him task to do that I believe would prompt him to start coming early as from next week.
Parents are to put their feet down and mould their children into responsible adults. The work is not for teachers alone, we can only try and for some who are not dedicated, they may not do more than teach and wait for salary. But as parents, it is our primary responsibility to train our children. Others can only help.
Punctuality is connected to a child's performance in School. Punctuality is the key to success. Imagine that child that trekked for more than an hour to School ( after the first subject had begun), by the time he gets to class, he is tired and had missed the first subject. The teacher in class for the second subject may not allow him in class, because his presence will distract the class as he struggles to settle down. How about all the explanations he had missed? If he continually comes late and misses same lessons everyday, I believe he needs magic to pass his tests and exams. A student who is not punctual turns in his assignment late. For me, this reduces his mark because he must have copied from those whose assignment has been marked.
EVERYONE HAS A ROLE
Sometimes, parents tell the kids to wait for them till they too dress up for work before dropping them on their way. In this economy, it is expected especially in order not to waste gas. However, a diligent parent who appreciates education would prepare and leave home on time, knowing that the child might miss some lectures if too late.
More over, you are teaching your child how to be disciplined, punctual in his activities in future and also inculcating the importance of education on the child. Punctuality builds self confidence in. Child, as he would not be overly criticized for being overly lazy. He too can grow up with good virtues to pass on his or her children.
So, if you have a child or sibling still in your care, how do you handle his punctuality to School? If he or she learns punctuality from you, other areas of his life would improve.
This post is inspired by my everyday encounter with parents as the head of punctuality committee in my School.
Thanks for coming around, wishing you a blessed week ahead.
Yours,
@adoore-eu