Emily Merkley, association executive, Cache-Rich Association of REALTORS®
Homeownership increases the standard of living for individuals, communities and families, but it is seldom acknowledged how high levels of homeownership benefit children. The stability of homeownership helps create environments where children can thrive, which includes better education outcomes and higher graduation rates.
Acting as a crucial foundation and a path out of poverty, homeownership allows families to improve educational attainment among a long list of other benefits. Children of homeowners tend to score better on academic tests and graduate at a higher rate, while also pursuing more secondary-education opportunities.
“A quality home is more than just a roof and walls,” said Renée Glover, chair of Habitat for Humanity International’s board of directors. “It provides homeowners with feelings of stability and pride, as well as generating measurable results, such as decreased doctor visits and increased high school graduation rates. Academic research and surveys point to one conclusion: Owning a home enhances quality of life in a variety of specific, verifiable ways.”
The substantial academic achievements and educational success that children of homeowners achieve usually evolves into less behavioral problems, greater social development, along with workplace and future success.
With the welfare of children at the forefront of most financial decisions, it is crucial to acknowledge that high levels of homeownership create better educational outcomes and higher graduation rates for those children, and to take the necessary steps to building and enforcing the foundation that is central to the success of our families and communities.
Five Tips to Help Your Child Thrive at Home & School
- Create and enforce healthy habits. Encourage healthy habits like exercise, limited TV and video games, monitored computer use, a bedtime that ensures plenty of sleep and healthy eating choices.
- Communicate. Create opportunities for your child to express their excitement, frustrations, anxiety and feelings. The experiences they have at home and at school create feelings that as a parent you can help support and encourage in a healthy way.
- Read. Reading is an important skill that your child will use for the rest of his life. The more you read to your child and let your child read to you, the better chance they have of becoming proficient in language and eager to read. Remember to make reading enjoyable and to eliminate stress and frustration as much as possible.
- Follow a routine. Children respond to structure and routines, and it helps them organize and prioritize their days. Make sure your child knows what to expect even when your routine needs to change.
- Set an example. Your child is watching and comprehending more than you think. Set an example for your child through hard work and taking opportunities to learn new skills, like something as simple as reading a book. Your child will soon model that same behavior. Setting expectations and creating a home environment that promotes and increases learning gives your child the opportunity to be the best student they can be, while improving their success both in and outside the classroom.
