***Finish The School Year On A Positive Note

Summer is coming and your child is anxious to quit school on a sour note. You keep telling your child to "finish strong, or else!" Parents searching for some parenting tips to keep your child in the "learning mode" will find this advice article helpful.

Parenting Tips To Ending The School Year On A Positive Note

Be Encouraging

It hard to be positive when your child is not doing as well as he or she should be doing in school. Be encouraging means to:

1. Remain calm
2. Avoid lecturing
3. Provide positive options
4. Listen to your child
5. Remind the child that he or she can do better
6. Be patient

Communicate With Teachers

Give your child's teacher a phone call or an email. Make the call or email brief positive. The purpose of your communication should be fact finding and instructional (provide you with assignment or project information) You may hear from the teacher that many children during this time of the school year are "hard to motivate." Again, be positive with your child's teachers and seek advice on what you can do to help your child finish the school year on a positive note.

Set Some New Goals With Your Child

Set some short term goals with your child to end the year on a successful note. Write the goals down. Include a plan for the goals to be achieved. The plan may include:

1. Homework time during school
2. Homework time at home
3. Attitude: Be positive!
4. Writing down assignments in a planner
5. Remembering to bring homework home- hang a note in locker
6. Remember to bring homework back to school- put backpack in front of door
7. Communicate daily with Parent(s) and teachers
8. Provide incentives: This is not a bribe, but an item, treat or event that your child would normally receive. Example: "I your assignments are turned in all week, you can have a sleep over with friends." or "You can go to the movies this Saturday when/if your project is turned in on time."

Form A Study Group At Your Home

Allow your child to ask a few friends over to study together. Contact the friend's parents first and share the plan. Keep an eye on the study group, but don't hover. Plan the study time to be one to two hours in length and then allow the students to do what they want together for another period of time- make popcorn and watch TV together.

Normal Consequences

It's hard for us parents to allow our children to fail. But failure is an important lesson itself. Schools do not give out grades; children earn them. Avoid doing your child's work for him or her. Walk away when you become frustrated or angry. Yes, your child will have other educational opportunities if failure is the only option. It's healthy for your child to learn from his or her mistakes, poor judgment or lack of motivation.