A child's parents are his first teachers. Numerous studies have demonstrated that parents' expectations have a definite influence on a child's attitude toward education and learning. Children who do well in school are likely to have been helped and encouraged by their parents. On the other hand, too much encouragement may be interpreted by the child as pressure, leading to stress and anxiety and ultimately to underachievement, rebellion and even failure.
Not all parents have the time or the means to spend on supervising homework or otherwise helping the child, but even these parents can raise successful students if they communicate their feelings that education is important.
Children from well-to-do families may have certain educational advantages over those from less affluent backgrounds, even though not all wealthy children are successful in school. Nearly 20 percent of children in the U.S. live in poverty. Statistics indicate that children from families at or below the poverty level are more likely than their wealthier classmates to repeat a grade or, once in high school, to be suspended, expelled or drop out.
Children of divorced parents are likely to fall behind their classmates in schoolwork. Sandra A. Waddock states that, "Learning is difficult when children are distracted by more fundamental issues..." Preoccupied with problems at home, children may have difficulty paying attention in class. They often become aggressive and may have trouble making friends. Boys are apt to get into fights while girls may bully other girls or act out by engaging in promiscuous sex.
Children who grow up in an abusive environment at home may be "ticking time bombs," reports the National School Safety and Security Services. Witnessing violence between parents can teach a child to be fearful and withdrawn or to carry on the pattern of violence himself. Victims of physical or verbal abuse in the home can react with abusive and violent behavior in school. Children who have been sexually abused may resort to premature and promiscuous sexual behavior. Mistreated children are apt to be disruptive and defiant, becoming confrontational with their teachers and other adults while bullying and fighting with their classmates.
Drug use among teens and adolescents has increased, and the role of the family in contributing either risk or preventative factors is key, according to the Office of National Drug Control Policy. A home where a child feels loved and protected is less likely to produce a risk-taking child. Homes where young people have access to drugs, alcohol and guns offer an increased risk of substance abuse as well as suicide. Children who see their parents or caregivers abusing alcohol or drugs are more likely to follow the same path of early use and dependence. At school, they are likely to seek friends among those engaging in the same behavior.