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Although your teen is likely looking for independence in most areas of life, your role as his parent is still a vital one when it comes to school. High school is often a tough time for kids, but if you take an active role in helping your child through this time, he or she is more likely to excel. Here are several ways you can help your high schooler achieve great results in school:
1. Get Extra Help
High school is supposed to be the best time in a child’s life, but it can also be the most stressful, especially when a child is on an advanced path. There’s no shame in deciding your child needs extra help and high school tutors are a great idea.
Your child doesn’t necessarily need to be struggling to benefit from a tutor. Tutors can help your child feel more confident in their studies while providing new ways to learn and succeed.
2. Attend Conferences and Back-to-School Night
By the time students enter high school, parents tend to take a backseat role to school involvement. While this is often a good sign that your child is independent and responsible, it’s still a good idea to attend back-to-school night and parent-teacher conferences.
If your child’s school has a back-to-school night, it’ll give you a chance to meet teachers and other staff members who have an impact on your child’s success. If your child is a Junior or Senior, attending this open house gives you an opportunity to learn about things you both need to be doing to prepare for college.
When it comes to parent-teacher conferences, if your child is doing well, it’s likely you won’t need to attend any. However, if you have concerns, you can always schedule a meeting with your child’s teacher to discuss them.
3. Offer Homework Support
Homework and grades become increasingly important as students progress through high school. It’s important your child develop good study habits as it will become a vital part of their college experience later on. While your child is probably also balancing friends, extracurricular activities, and a job in addition to schoolwork, it’s your job as his parent to make sure the balancing act is successful.
Make sure he or she has a well-lit, distraction-free place to do homework. Be sure to check-in from time to time to make sure your child hasn’t become sidetracked. Encourage time away from the screen and cell phones while studying to stay focused.
4. Encourage Good Attendance
In order for your child to do well in school, he or she needs to show up on time for school every day. Certainly, there are times that it’s best to stay home (fever, diarrhea, vomiting, etc.), but barring any major sickness, your child should attend school every day. With the difficulty level and amount of schoolwork a student must catch up on when they miss school, playing catchup is simply too stressful to miss days for no reason.
If your child is missing school without a good reason, make it a point to discuss it with the school counselor and initiate a conversation at home to the bottom of the issue.
High school can be a stressful time for your student, but with solid backing from you, your child can excel. Use the tips outlined above to make sure your high schooler gets great results in school.