How Can Parents Mentor Their Students?
byJennifer Strimbu
5 min to read
Students thrive when given the proper support and encouragement to perform at their best. Often, the person who provides that support is a mentor, or someone who helps a student develop the skills and mindset needed to succeed. Mentoring looks different for every family, but parents play one of the most powerful roles in guiding their children to grow, learn, and overcome challenges.
Learn how parents can mentor their children and help them become both a self-motivated and empowered learner.
The Parent Advantage: Why You're Already Your Child's Best Mentor
As a parent, you have the most potential to directly mentor your child. They rely on you and look up to you, and there’s great power in that. You know them probably better than anyone and already have their best interests in mind. However, being a mentor means going beyond that. It means offering intentional guidance in their education, personal growth, and everyday life.
So how can you embrace that role, especially when it comes to school?
Benefits of Mentoring Your Child
Parental mentorship is a powerful way to set your student up for long-term success. Research shows that adolescents with academically involved parents report higher levels of overall well-being. Beyond the research, mentoring also creates everyday opportunities to motivate and engage your child in learning.
Here are four key benefits to mentoring your child:
1. Developing Skills
Help your child build foundational skills like time management, study habits, and communication. These foundational skills set the groundwork and prepare students for success in school and beyond. By helping to instill self-motivation, students are equipped to take ownership of their education and independently develop learning skills.
2. Building Character
Mentoring shapes character traits like confidence, resilience, and empathy. These qualities help children handle challenges and pursue goals.
3. Partnering in Growth
Your involvement is imperative to successfully mentoring your child. Together, you’ll build trust and create a shared purpose.
4. Providing Perspective
You help your child make sense of the world. Talking through your student’s experiences helps build motivation and prepares them for their future career.
Different Mentoring Formats
Mentoring doesn’t have to look one specific way. Plus, you’re probably already guiding your child in small, everyday ways. Here’s some simple and effective mentoring formats that you can try with your student.
One-on-one Mentoring
This is the most natural and common form of mentoring where it’s just you and your child talking, learning, and growing together. It includes helping your child with homework, offering advice after a tough day, or helping them set goals for their future. While these mentoring relationships can be formal, they are often more casual and tend to develop organically.
Virtual Mentoring
Sometimes mentoring happens online. In many cases, the mentee has signed up for formal mentoring and receives it via online video calls and/or email correspondence.
Group Mentoring
This is a form of mentoring where one mentor helps a group of mentees simultaneously with only occasional one-on-one interactions. It’s almost always formal in nature and is common in educational settings.
3 Mentoring Actions Every Parent Can Take Today
As a parent, you’re naturally a role model to your child, but mentoring takes it a step further. Mentors offer direct guidance, support, and encouragement that helps a child grow with purpose.
Here are three ways to be a more intentional mentor in your child’s life:
1. Turn Everyday Moments Into Learning Opportunities
Use everyday moments as teaching moments. This might include helping your child manage their schedule or solve a conflict. Make sure to talk through your thinking and let your child take part in your decision-making.
2. Talk With Your Child, Not Just to Them
Ask your child open-ended questions that invite reflection like, “what’s something that felt challenging today?” These conversations can help your child process experiences and build self-confidence.
3. Model and Explain What Matters Most
Children often imitate what they see, but they learn more when they understand why. Share your values, stories, and the lessons you've learned along the way.
Grade-Specific Mentoring Tips
Mentoring evolves as your child grows. Here's some tips for how to offer the right support at the right time:
Elementary (K-5)
Establish daily homework and reading habits
Read together and ask questions to spark thinking
Celebrate small achievements to boost confidence
Encourage questions and curiosity
Middle School (6-8)
Discuss values and help them make good choices
Set and review short-term goals together
Support independence but stay connected
Listen without judgment
High School (9-12)
Talk about post-high school options and future career planning
Teach practical life skills like budgeting and time management
Encourage responsibility
Normalize setbacks and focus on learning from failure
Making it Work with Online School
Online school offers flexibility, but it also requires strong support at home. At Connections Academy®, you can step into the role of Learning Coach—an adult who helps your child stay organized, motivated, and on track while they learn at home. You won’t be their teacher (our certified educators handle instruction), but you’ll play a key role in their daily success. With the tools and support from Connections Academy, you don’t have to do it alone. Mentoring is simply another tool to help your student grow into a confident learner.
The Power of Parent-Led Mentorship
Mentoring your child means showing up with patience and purpose. Whether your child is learning in a traditional classroom or online, your mentorship matters. Together, and with your support, your child can grow into a confident, motivated, and resilient learner.
Curious how mentoring your child can help you both succeed? Learn more about becoming a Learning Coach with Connections Academy.
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