mom2many

I turn it around on my kids, grades are everything but I run into problems when they enter the 9th grade, know mind you my kids are usually all A students, national honor roll, you name it, and then I am seeing C's....what? One day after having a parental fit about grades, something clicked in my little brain, at 13, 14, 15 they don't really care about college, cause they don't understand what it really means for theri future, we look at it as a good job, better future, more opportunity etc,. but you know what a 13 year old doesn't care, they don't grasp what all of that really doesn for them.

So the last time thid happened, the conversation went like this..." Ok you want bad grades, you want to think of only know, go ahead but let me paint a little picture of your future, there is this girl that you are interested in, I mean she is everything you ever wanted, but you have a low paying job and not enough money to afford rent and utilities, let alone taking her out on a proper date, so she declines you for the better prospect, BUT lets say that she agrees to go out, and is ok with what little money you have to offer, and she wants kids, how are you going to keep her happy? Ok so know you have a kid and he neads new shoes, but you can barely afford the food in his stomach" I think you see what I am saying, use the girls to get your point across, apply it to something their little hormonal bodies might be able to grasp.

Next I would require a signed daily progress report from the teachers with a list of what he still needs to do and what he didn't complete that day. Don't expect the teacher to be the one in charge, your son is more then old enough to take responsibility for his actions, don't be afraid of grounding and removing everything he owns and isn't essential, my feelings are if that is the future you are setting up for yourself then I guess we could start know so by the time you are 18 you will be comfortable with have only those thing that are necassary, I wouldn't want to set your standards to high! ANd second good luck, I haven't figured out which years are worse....Toddlerhood or teenagers!

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Jennifer, mom to some wonderful kids!