How to Keep your Teen on Track in High School
Being a teenager is hard, hard for teens and their parents. It’s a time when things start to change both physically and emotionally.
Hormones are raging and it can get very confusing at times. Often, because of the mess they are facing, teenagers have trouble concentrating and focusing on the important tasks ahead.
They only seem interested in frivolous things like hanging out with their friends and getting noticed by their crush.
You just need to figure out how to direct their attention the right way. So, here are some tips on how to do exactly that.
Don’t Give Them too Much Space
During this awkward time of your child’s life, you may find yourself looking from the outside in. You’ll often be a villain, an evil stepparent/parent and someone who doesn’t understand.
However, even during this difficult period, you must stay involved in every way you can. One thing you can do is attend parent-teacher conferences.
It’s a great way to find out things and always stay in the loop regarding the curriculum and assignments. Register for the parent portal of the student management system and keep track on your child’s performance in class.
The biggest mistake you can make is assuming your child can handle everything on their own now that they’re in high school. It’s very important your teen becomes aware of your constant presence.
That way, they won’t be able to slack off and create any permanent damage to their future, which is the whole point after all.
Don’t Hesitate to Seek out Professional Help
There comes a time in high school when everything is at stake and that time is the senior year. As mentioned before, there’s a widely spread misconception that by now, your teenagers are responsible young adults capable of handling everything on their own and fully aware of the importance of their final exams for their academic future.
The senior year is the time when you should turn all your attention to helping your child stay motivated and focused on challenging tasks ahead. Maintaining academic performance, studying for finals and preparing for the college or university admissions are all very demanding tasks.
The best way to ensure great results and offer your support is to encourage your child to join study groups, work with a tutor or swap handy WACE exam notes with other students.
That way, your child will become a part of a productive online community focused on achieving the highest academic results.
Help Them Keep a Balance
Even though the main focus should stay on preparing for college, you should help your child not feel isolated and overworked. In order to become successful students, our children need to balance school work, social life and doing fun activities on the side. And for that, they need our help.
Be understanding and patient. Understand there will be days when your child will simply need a break.
It doesn’t mean they’re not trying their hardest or they’re not determined enough. It just means they miss their old life and you have to respect that.
It’s natural you feel responsible for your children and you want to equip them with the best future possible. You should also realize they are only human, like yourself and you know how important balance is for leading a well-functioning and quality life.
In the end, whatever happens, your child should remain your highest priority. You are responsible for the person they become and our role as parents is crucial to that.
However, we are not all-knowing and the sooner we accept that the fewer mistakes we’ll make while helping our children reach their full potential.
So, start paying attention to what they are saying, listen and try to understand the best way you can. Offer your support and make sure they know you will be by their side every step of the way.
