Your child spends almost one-third of their day at school, which makes it an important influence on their life. In the teen years, that influence likely grows as their friends opinions begin to play a more central role in their lives. One of the most powerful indicators of teenagers’ success in school is their connection to school—feeling like they belong at the school and are close to others there, including teachers. Attachment to school is associated with lower use of alcohol, cigarettes, and marijuana, as well as lower rates of sexual activity, fewer thoughts about or attempts at suicide, and lower levels of violent behavior.
Research shows that even in the teen years, parents who are involved in their child’s education improve their academic success. Yet many parents become less involved as their child reaches middle and high school. While your child may be breaking away a bit more as they reach the teen years and look for more independence, there are still ways for you to be involved. The extension office at the University of Minnesota has some suggestions:
- Expect success
- Communicate with teachers
- Support student activities
- Volunteer in the school
- Involve both parents
- Encourage your teen to tutor or mentor others
- Recognize your teen’s academic accomplishments
- Create a positive home environment that encourages learning
- Establish quiet time every night for studying, reading, or writing
- Provide extra support to your teen during transitional times
- Talk with your teen about their school classes and activities and monitor their attendance
- Keep a calendar that lists school events, projects, and activities, as well as family events
- Use screens wisely
- Know how and where your kids spend free time, especially after school
For more information on these points, see the full article from Minnesota extension.
It can be difficult as a parent to help your child through being bullied, and even harder when it turns out your child is the bully. Add in cyberbullying, which wasn’t even possible when most of today’s parents were kids, and it can be easy to feel at a loss about what to do.
When your child first heads off to school, you are the most important person in their world and they look to you for guidance. Their teachers in the early grades fill that role as well. But by the time they turn 11, children start caring more about what their other kids think of them than what their parents or other adults think.
There are a lot of different skills that your child needs to develop in order to be successful at school. 