Helping your child succeed in school requires the proper balance. You should be involved–but not too involved. You need to set limits–but also allow freedom. And you should encourage your children to excel–but not expect perfection. Here are 10 tips from experts to help you make 2012 a great year for your entire family.

1. Create a routine. Kids benefit from structure in the home, including a set time to get up and a positive bedtime ritual. Reading together and talking about the stories is a great way to interact with your children at the end of the day.
2. Prepare for the morning the night before.  To avoid morning chaos, help your children choose clothes to wear and pack their backpacks before going to bed. Being prepared for the school day will get them off to a good start in the morning and will promote self-confidence.
3. Help your child get organized. To help your children feel organized and in control, help them develop a system for storing and retrieving belongings. Try using color-coded folders for different subjects so that materials can be located quickly.
4. Provide a quiet place for homework, but let your child work alone. Be available to help, but don’t hover while your child is working. If you do offer help, point out mistakes, but let your child figure out how to fix them.
5. Limit distractions. Television, computers, and video games can be major competitors for your child’s attention and can make school and homework seem boring. Try to limit these activities as much as possible, especially on school nights.
6. Encourage intellectual curiosity. Talk to your children; ask questions about their day and share your own interests. Nourishing your child’s curiosity will instill a love of learning.
7. Allow free time. Build in time during the day for unstructured play. Try not to schedule too many after-school activities that don’t allow your child to have some downtime.
8. Build relationships with teachers. Keep the lines of communication open with your children’s teachers and avoid criticizing teachers, especially in front of your children.
9. Focus on effort rather than grades. Express confidence in your children’s abilities and focus on what they have done well. If you’re constantly raising the bar, they will never feel quite good enough.
10. Learn how to step back. Resist the urge to micromanage your children’s education and stop worrying about whether they are doing well enough to get into a good college. Such pressure makes children feel like failures.