Helping our Teens Succeed in School

What is your role when it comes to your teen's schooling?

Sitting down and stating this in actual words will make boundaries more clear. It only takes a couple of minutes. Start with, "I will support my student by..." and then fill in the things you will do. After that, state the things you will not do or the things you are not in charge of. 

For example:

• "I will support my student by making sure they have the tech, space, and supplies they need to be successful."

• "I will not talk to my teen's teachers for them, but I will go for moral support if asked."

• "I will support my student by asking once a day if there is anything I can do to help them get their homework done."

• "I will not nag my teen to turn in their homework."

• "I will sit down with my teen to check their grades together every two weeks to see if there are any big problems brewing."

• "My teen and I will sit down and discuss possible consequences for not doing school work."

• "I am not responsible for my teen's grades."

After you have come up with some statements, share them with your teen. Ask them if there is anything they agree with/disagree with on your list. Then, ask them what their role is in their own schooling. Last year my daughter tearfully told us that us asking her about her math so often was giving her more anxiety. We backed off and she figured out how to catch up on her own. It was really hard to stop asking but I tried really hard. :) 

Every teen is different so discussing your boundaries and who will do what at the beginning of the year is important. You can even print your statements up, sign them, and put them near where your teen studies if you want. This would be a great thing to do to kick off weekly parent teen nights (more ideas here).