Q. With the school year just beginning, what can we do as parents to help make this a successful year for our teen-ager and our family?
A. Fortunately, there are many things you can do to make this a successful school year, not just for your teen, but for the whole family as well.
In general, the first thing to keep in mind is that parents and teens have a very different notion about the purpose of school. Here's how I believe it works: For parents, the perception is that we work all day, the kids don't. School is their job. Therefore, they should get good grades, just as we want to do well on our jobs.
The perception of teen-agers is quite different. In their view, school is rarely more than their social world, interrupted by six or seven classes a day.
So, here's a list of the top seven things parents can do to make this a successful school year:
Create an environment at home that models a love of learning. How often have your children seen you reading? Heard you talking about something you have learned? Discussed ideas and issues with them? While these are things to have started from Day One with your child, you can still implement them in your home now.
In whatever way works for you, make sure your teen knows that while grades are vitally important, your child is more important to you than his grades. That's the No. 1 thing I hear from kids when I ask them what gets in the way of talking about school with their parents.
This one is so simple yet so profound. Ask them their opinion on important issues of the day. You may be surprised to find out what kind of brain they have in there.
Make sure there is nothing blocking your teen-ager from learning. One example of a block could be a learning or information processing disorder, or something like attention deficit disorder. Many teen-agers I work with who have difficulty with school have undiagnosed ADD or ADHD.
Another block to learning can be the use of alcohol and drugs. Part of the process of drug abuse is that kids begin to lose interest in things that were once important to them. If they are drunk or high in school, they do not want to learn and they can't.
Know the names and philosophies of the following people who influence your child's life: the principal, assistant principals, the guidance counselor and, most important, the teachers.
If a discussion about grades has become a battleground during a particular time of day, declare that time off-limits for grade talk, unless the teen brings it up. For some families that time is the car ride home, or right after school. For many it's the dinner table. Many families have reported better digestion after declaring dinner time off-limits to grade talk.
Once you have done all this, simply put them in charge of school. Make them responsible for their performance at school. This may be particularly difficult, because this can be one of those situations where things may get worse before they get better. This is especially true if you have been pushing and pushing over the past few years. There may be a decline in performance as they learn how to be in charge of themselves with school.
Wanting your children to excel in school is a good and natural thing. There comes a time, however, when the ball is simply in their court, and it's up to them. I think the most important thing for parents to remember is that school eventually needs to become more important to them than it is to you.
For more tips and tools for a great school year, check out parenting coach and syndicated parenting columnist Jeff Herring's back to school success tips
executive chauffeured services Bradford .. Madison to Airport carQ. We just got our daughter's progress report, and it... Read More
For troubled teens who are struggling with drug abuse, depression... Read More
Imagine a child who lacks ownership of his own life,... Read More
In memory of 14 year old Matthew Smith; 11 year... Read More
Courage means doing the right thing when it is hard,... Read More
Here is something that you might want to keep if... Read More
Should a parent give a child a tangible reward when... Read More
The least flexible character in all of the stories of... Read More
Every parent wants their child to develop positive character traits.... Read More
From the time the Mayflower landed at Plymouth Rock in... Read More
Research has shown that the present generation of children worldwide... Read More
While on a recent trip to the grocery store, I... Read More
As parents, we want our children and teens to grow... Read More
As parents and teachers, sometimes we want to praise, at... Read More
"Becoming a parent can make you a better worker," New... Read More
Many parents struggle to know which foods are healthy for... Read More
If your child has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder then at... Read More
If you ever walk through an orphanage, it will be... Read More
Does the homework battle so typical with your hyperactive or... Read More
We're all familiar with the over-indulgent parent. But there's another... Read More
Although many parents are concerned with our children's intelligence quotient... Read More
Would you hand a child calculus problems once she was... Read More
Several similar terms describe the central attribute of a character... Read More
Our back-to-school buying habits do not help kids succeed in... Read More
Chaim Ginott was a schoolteacher whose ideas and observations helped... Read More
O'Hare Chicago prom limo ..Libraries offer more than books. They are places of learning... Read More
Here are some things that you can do to help... Read More
Child Car Seat Safety:We know you love your children, but... Read More
Under the "No Child Left Behind Act," public schools whose... Read More
Teenagers are a work-in-progress, and parenting teenagers can be tricky... Read More
We are all familiar with the stories that most students... Read More
Here are ten simple pleasures you can enjoy with your... Read More
Imagine you were the principal of the school that your... Read More
It is human nature to feel competitive and envious toward... Read More
"To educate a person in mind and not in morals... Read More
My name is Duncan and I'm 2 years old. I... Read More
Did you know that the school system is only able... Read More
Life is comprised of pieces of time sprinkled with pivotal... Read More
Nanny 911 Interview with Montel WilliamsI saw an interview with... Read More
If there are any parents reading this who are thinking... Read More
MYTH: All teens have to rebel, and the teen years... Read More
According to researchers, most children enter school with a good... Read More
The teenage years are a crucial time in a child's... Read More
Remember when cash was a tangible commodity in all of... Read More
If you are currently homeschooling or considering homeschooling your child,... Read More
As a hypnotherapist, I am acutely aware of the power... Read More
As Mother's Day approaches I would like to give a... Read More
the woes of being a parent of an ADHD child.....Like... Read More
As a parent, you probably know that the birthday party... Read More
At the ADHD Information Library we are big believers that... Read More
Parenting |