Can Siblings Be Tutors?


What is more convenient than having an older child who has been what your younger child is going through in school? If the holder child has gotten better grades in the area that your other child is having problems in, should they be able to help? It sounds like a great idea but if you analyze the situation carefully, it actually may do more harm than good.

Your older child may have done excellent in that subject but it all boils down to sibling rivalry. It may sound crazy but it is true. If the younger child feels that they are in the shadow of the older sibling then having that sibling help can make it worse.  Think about it, as a parent you may see a cheap solution to a problem that can be simply fixed by an older sibling. But the younger sibling may not learn too much from an older sibling especially if they feel like they are showing off.

Your younger child may feel like the older child is being more superior and therefore, you are going to hear about more fights than anything else.. It could harm the learning process if you don’t assess the situation properly. Then you can try seeing from the other side of the coin. If your older child is more dependant the last thing they are going to do is want to help their brother or sister with their homework on top of doing their own.

If both children need help in an area, it may be a good idea to have a tutor who can handle both kids. It may actually bond the siblings, by seeing the other get help they will realize that they are just like them. You don’t want to favor one child over another so try to treat them the same way. Pay attention to their schoolwork help them correct it of need be.. But the most important thing that you can do is not call out the problems of one sibling to other.

When siblings both have trouble in school, it may a good idea to have them evaluated. This can be done by an after school center such as Sylvan. Your child may have a learning disability that maybe you were not aware of before. Talk to their teachers and see if they have noticed a decline in the work or if the work from day one has been borderline.
By getting your child help early on, you can help them deal with schoolwork better. They may need extra attention in school but they will catch up with hard work. Most kids hate homework, so they slack in school and neglect homework. But you as parents have to teach them that there is a way to get ahead and that is with hard work and a good attitude.  Together with parents and children working together, your child can get the help they need. They should not have to suffer with a learning disorder longer than they have to. Have all of your kids checked, it may run in the family.


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Tutoring Article courtesy of http://www.tutoring-services.org/