Why it’s impossible to tutor your own kids

In the middle of a cost-of-living crisis – and coming so soon after the covid pandemic which dented most people’s finances in one way or another – it’s only natural for families to be looking at cutting costs and trying to tighten the purse strings a bit.

It’s why many parents may be experiencing a particular dilemma right now. It’s clear that your child could do with some extra help with their schoolwork – especially to prepare them for their exams. A private tutor would certainly help – but what about the expense? 

I know… I’ve got A Levels in those subjects… Why don’t I do the tutoring myself?

The downside of the DIY approach

The first reason why you shouldn’t tutor your own kids yourself is to do with the downside of the DIY approach…

Now, of course, you might be reading this blog right now and consider yourself to be a DIY whizz – and if that’s the case, we salute you!

However, back in the real world, many of us mere mortals have looked at a slightly botched DIY job that we have just completed in the home and tasted the sour taste of the downside of the DIY approach ourselves.

You see, that’s why the professionals exist!

Yes, you might have saved some money – but the job has ended up taking you longer, caused you untold stress, and doesn’t look as good as it would’ve done if you’d employed the services of a professional.

Well, the same is true of tutoring.

Most tutors are either undergraduates who are still in – or have recently gone through – the education system and the exams that your child is facing right now; or they are qualified teachers who have years of experience in the classroom and of exams.

The ‘insider knowledge’ that a tutor can bring to the table is one of the main reasons why you should not tutor your own kids but leave it to the professionals instead.

A parent is too close to their own children to tutor them

The second main reason why it’s impossible to tutor your own kids is that the close relationship between a parent and child can create a very challenging educational environment.

Teaching your own children brings a lot of emotional weight with it. And it works both ways too. Although nobody knows their kids better than their parents, it’s still likely that a child – when they get things wrong – will take comments from parents as personal criticisms and slights; even though all the parent is trying to do is to help them get right what they got wrong.

In a nutshell, it just throws too many complications into the mix. And that is never a recipe for success.

The bottom line is this: even if you are a trained teacher, you may find it challenging to teach your own children.

Don’t Do it Yourself: Call on the Professionals

A parent can do a lot to support a child who is struggling academically, but seeking external help is often the best thing to do.

A private tutor is a fresh face and brings a fresh pair of eyes to the situation. They will know the academic content that your child is struggling with inside-out, and intuitively know how best to support them.

Call on the professionals now and talk to the TutorRight team today!