Did you start the school year playing an active role in helping your kids get off to a good academic start? If so, you probably encouraged your children to write down all their homework assignments and checked it against the school’s on-line homework system. You probably helped them with their assignments and confirmed with teachers that they’d actually turned them in. You may have even encouraged them to start planning for their long-term projects.
If your kids have done well with the structure you set-up and have continued to thrive, even after you eased up and encouraged them to take more responsibility for their academic success, then keep with the system that works. However, if your kids aren’t doing well and they’re struggling to balance academics with sports, clubs and jobs, it’s time to help them get back on track.
Try catching your child’s teacher(s) after school or sending emails checking-in about your child’s academic progress. If your child’s school doesn’t have an on-line grading system or it isn’t up to date, have his/her teachers fill-out weekly progress reports, so you know where they need to focus. If your child has gotten his/her quarterly progress reports, use those as a tool to help guide him/her. Your child may not appreciate the renewed focus on schoolwork, but he/she will thank you when final grades come out.