Family challenges — such as divorce, financial issues, and sibling bullying — have the potential to negatively affect all family members, including kids. These young individuals do not have the tools or mental capacity to properly manage stress, and it shows in multiple capacities: one being their performance at school.
Common Home Life Issues That Can Affect Educational Performance
Let’s delve into the aforementioned problems and how exactly school performance might change as a result:
1. Changes in family dynamics
Changes in family relationships include divorcing parents or blending two families together. Both instances can confuse or upset a child and lead to their acting out or being withdrawn at school. Often, single parents are forced to work longer hours to make financial ends meet, which means less time at home with their kids—this can cause a child to feel neglected or unloved, resulting in their misbehavior or withdrawal at school.
Similarly, if two families merge together, a child might feel neglected or left out as his or her parents navigate new relationships with the new members. Be sure to communicate well with your child and show them affection on a regular basis to prevent them from developing these ideas that they are unloved. More on this later.
2. Financial instability
As we mentioned above, sometimes parents need to work long hours or take other measures to make financial ends meet. However, sometimes families run into financial instability. Research published in the journal “Pediatric Child Health” shows that children from impoverished families receive lower scores in vocabulary skills, concentration, teamwork, and other areas. These findings demonstrate the impact that economic instability can have on a child’s performance at school.
3. Sibling bullying
Sibling bullying is another harmful problem that many parents don’t recognize. They assume that a little rough-housing or poking fun is a normal part of the sibling dynamic—but often, it gets out of hand and one sibling starts being bullied. Sibling bullying can affect self-esteem and cause emotional problems like hopelessness, loneliness, and even depression. This can then cause a child to struggle in school, as they aren’t able to focus on their work.
Show Your Child Love and Support: 4 Tips
If your family is confronted with a difficult challenge, communicating with your child is key. While you don’t have to go into detail about the problem at hand, you also shouldn’t keep them in the dark. For example, if you and your partner are divorcing, clearly communicate this to your child and then focus on supporting them through the transition to come. Once you’ve addressed the problem at hand, the best thing you can do is show your child endless love and support. Here are a few tips for doing so:
1. Make physical contact.
One of the best ways to show your child continued love is by making physical contact. Hug them, kiss them, tickle them, high-five them, snuggle with them on the couch. They’ll feel your love come through.
2. Show your appreciation.
What many of us don’t realize is that kids want and can benefit from our appreciation. Tell them directly that you appreciate their support at random. Also, when they do something helpful or they follow directions, tell them you appreciate it. Kids listen to and remember more than we think they do.
3. Give them one-on-one time.
Your child wants your undivided attention whenever and however they can get it. This means that one-on-one time is like gold to them. It shows that you love them and want to spend time with them. Not to mention this can create a good opportunity to check in on how they’re feeling, especially relating to the problem at hand.
4. Do something exciting.
Finally, do something different and exciting every once in a while. This will help to take your child’s mind off of the problem, instill fun back into their lives, and show them that life still goes on—an important lesson that they’ll pull from time and time again.
Remember: We all struggle. If your family is currently trying to navigate one of the problems mentioned above or another problem, you might feel hopeless, helpless, or guilty that your child is or could be affected. Try to focus instead on providing them with the love and support that will get them (and you) through this difficult time.
FAQs
Family problems — like major changes in family dynamics, financial instability, and sibling bullying — can have a significant impact on children. These challenges can put stress on a child's emotions and contribute to loss of focus or acting out at school.
How family problems affect academic performance of students? ›
Factors such as family dysfunctionality, separation of parents, and family conflicts can negatively affect students' academic outcomes. These problems can lead to indiscipline, lack of mathematical reasoning, and difficulties in social relationships within the classroom.
How does family affect a child's education? ›
Youth and Family Outcomes
Family engagement in schools contributes to positive student outcomes, including improved child and student achievement, decreased disciplinary issues, improved parent-teacher and teacher-student relationships, and improved school environment.
How children are affected by family problems? ›
Their reactions can include fear, anger, anxiety, and sadness, and they are at higher risk of experiencing a variety of health problems, disturbed sleep, and difficulty in focusing and succeeding at school.
What are the effects of family problems on children? ›
It is normal for parents to disagree sometimes, however, high levels of conflict and animosity between parents places children at a greater risk of developing emotional, social and behavioural problems, as well as having difficulties with concentration and educational achievement.
What family problems affect students emotionally and academically? ›
Studies have shown that poor family environments, such as family conflict and a lack of warmth and affection, can prevent students in the family receiving emotional support, as well as have difficulty expressing their emotions, which can cause mental health problems [24].
How home factors affect the academic performance of students? ›
Factors such as socio-economic status, parental style, and parental involvement also contribute to academic performance. Students from high socio-economic status groups tend to have higher academic performance, and a positive home environment is strongly correlated with educational achievement.
How parents can influence academic performance? ›
Based on previous research, it was hypothesized that parents who have a positive attitude towards their child's education, school, and teacher are able to positively influence their child's academic performance by two mechanisms: (a) by being engaged with the child to increase the child's self-perception of cognitive ...
How does lack of parental involvement affect education? ›
Without your involvement, your child may struggle with their schoolwork and feel disengaged or disconnected from their education, which can make them more likely to drop out. Parental involvement is crucial in a student's academic journey.
How family has a strong influence on one's academic success? ›
In fact, one of the top factors to students' success is through their parents' support and participation in school activities. Although it's hard to believe, numerous studies now show that parental engagement and involvement in their child's education and school events boost their motivation and academic performance!
People living in family conflict are at greater risk for anxiety and depression, even after they leave the home, as well as addiction and eating disorders. Family conflict may escalate to physical abuse, physically harming family members.
How can a family breakdown affect a child's development? ›
Your child may: Have regular nightmares or difficulty sleeping – they may want to sleep with you. Show out-of-character behaviour, such as temper tantrums. Start to have difficulties with school work or not want to go to away from the family.
How parents negatively affect child development? ›
Increased likelihood of criminal behavior
A child who is never allowed to make decisions, and who is constantly criticized, belittled, and who goes through abuse is likely to have low self-esteem. Verbal, emotional, and/or sexual abuse are also known to make children more prone to violent behaviors.
What is the effect of family instability on children? ›
Family stability can promote positive social behavior in children and adolescents, while instability is associated with social maladjustment, including behaviors such as aggression toward peers, teachers, or parents.
What are five effects of family conflict? ›
Family conflict, especially divorce, can cause distress, anger, and anxiety. There is a possibility that these children are at an increased risk of developing poor coping strategies which includes using drugs, risky sexual behavior, and acting out (Lansford, 2009).
How do the problems in the family affect students behavior in the classroom and their academic achievement? ›
Family problems — like major changes in family dynamics, financial instability, and sibling bullying — can have a significant impact on children. These challenges can put stress on a child's emotions and contribute to loss of focus or acting out at school.
How does family conflict affect academic performance research? ›
It is strongly considered that family conflict and broken homes adversely affect the personality, mental development, and emotions of young children, and similarly adversely affect their academic performance (Fearon, 2015).
How does family structure impact academic achievement? ›
Students' performance and conduct in school are affected by the intellectual stimulation, emotional support, guidance, and discipline they receive at home. They are more likely to get the attention, affection, and direction they need to thrive in school when they come from a family headed by their own married parents.
What are the effects of parental relationship on the academic performance? ›
When families are stakeholders in students' education, there's a positive impact on student success. When families get involved and engaged in their child's education, students are more likely to graduate, earn higher grades, improve their attendance, and go to college.
