I Am a Single Dad: How Can I Support my Child’s Education?
“Newly single dad here: how can I support my child’s education at home? He’s 11. Many thanks”
I hope you are doing OK in this new stage of your life.
The best thing you can do is to establish a good relationship with your son. To do so, you need to give him love and establish clear boundaries. Having a strong, warm, solid relationship with their parents is the biggest predictor of children’s success and mental health. So, spend time with him, make him feel valued, listen to him, get to know his friends, his likes and dislikes, do things together, involve him in your life… Show him you care. At the same time, establish a clear routine and clear boundaries. Children tend to do better when they know where they stand, when they know what they can and cannot do and why.
I am not sure how your relationship with your ex-partner is, but it is important that you always put your son’s interest first. The best thing for your is to have consistent rules at both houses. Ideally, your son will go to bed at the same time or have the same rules regarding screens at both houses, regardless of whether he is with you or your ex.
Your son is 11, so he is officially a tween, adolescence will start soon. During this time, your son will start to push away from you, and he will get close to his friends. This does not mean that he does not love you; it means that he is entering a new phase of his development. Change tends to bring stress because you will both need to adjust to a new situation. Keep talking to him, listen to him, and keep an open mind.
I hope this helps! I wish you both all the very best.
Regards,
Ana
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